


Dance Rivals

by Another Bechloe Shipper (AmyP91402)



Series: Dance Rivals [1]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dance, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-01 15:46:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 42,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14523918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyP91402/pseuds/Another%20Bechloe%20Shipper
Summary: AU: Beca and Chloe are dancers at rival dance studios on the dance competition scene. The girls become friends and then something more. BeChloe endgame and some StAubrey. Some nods to canon.





	1. Chapter 1

Beca Mitchell began her dance training at age four. She always had a lot of energy, and her parents felt that dance might be a good way to channel it. They also couldn't pass up an opportunity to dress their little darling in a tutu. They didn't count on Beca having a lot of raw talent and a real passion for dance. By the time she was ten years old, they found themselves at the dance studio nearly every day for her training. She joined the competition team the summer before fifth grade and really enjoyed traveling with her dance friends. She was still in school full-time and frequently did her homework in the car on the way to dance or at the studio in between dance classes. It seemed like a lot of work, but Beca really enjoyed her dance training. She loved all kinds – ballet (although that was not her strong suit), tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, and hip-hop. She could just as easily pull off a sassy jazz number as she could a serious lyrical piece. She was given her first solo piece at eleven years old, a serious lyrical piece to Amazing Grace, and everyone was amazed at how much emotion she put into it. Outside of dance, she rarely showed her feelings. Once she hit the dance studio or the stage, she left it all out there. Her technique was good, but she really excelled at showing her emotions. She usually received high marks, with only a few small critiques of her technique. Her teacher Alyson tried to get Beca to remember to straighten her legs and point her toes, but Beca would sometimes get so lost in the music and the piece itself that her legs weren't as straight as she could normally make them, and her toes could be pointed a little better. She was a beautiful petite girl with a small frame, dark blue eyes, and long wavy brown hair.

Chloe Beale began her training at age three. Her parents went to enroll her five-year-old sister Annabelle in dance and enrolled Chloe as well when they found out Tracie's Dance School also had a class for three-year-olds. Annabelle quit after two years, but Chloe continued to dance. She joined the school's competition team when she was nine and was at the studio almost every day. She loved all kinds of dance but really excelled at ballet numbers. She had a beautiful natural toe point and was also very flexible. She was strong as well and was known for her beautiful extensions. She got her first solo at ten years old, a technically demanding ballet piece from Coppelia. She had amazing technique, especially for a ten-year-old, but she had a hard time putting emotion into her piece. Tracie worked with her, but her nerves tended to get the better of her on stage. She'd execute nearly flawless technique, but her facial expressions rarely changed. Her score sheets from various competitions always suggested she try harder to feel the music and show her emotions. Chloe was also beautiful, with sky blue eyes, fire engine red hair, and long legs.

When Beca was thirteen and Chloe was fourteen, they met at a competition. Their dance schools were rivals, so they didn't say much to each other. Beca was first to hit the stage, doing a beautiful lyrical piece to "God Bless the USA". Her emotions were right on point, but she sickled her foot through two of her turns. Still, she left the stage pleased with her performance. Chloe was next, doing a lyrical piece to "From a Distance". Her teacher Tracie had her try lyrical in an attempt to get Chloe a bit more in touch with her emotions. She did an excellent job with her beautiful leg extensions, but her expression didn't change much. Chloe ended up with the gold, and Beca with the silver, their scores only 0.5 apart. Beca congratulated Chloe after the awards ceremony and was quickly pulled away by Alyson.

"We do NOT talk to Tracie's students," Alyson said.

"Why not? I was just congratulating her on a well-deserved win," said Beca.

"We don't fraternize with the enemy," said Alyson.

"The enemy? Huh?" asked Beca.

"I'll explain it to you when you're older," said Alyson. Beca rolled her eyes behind Alyson's back. She was a teenager now, but sometimes she still felt like the whole world thought she was five.

Chloe watched this exchange in disbelief. Why would another dance teacher forbid her students from talking to dancers from other studios? She thought this was a friendly competition. She found Tracie and told her what happened.

"Don't mind Alyson," she said. "We've been rivals for years, and I think she's threatened by the fact that my star pupil just beat hers."


	2. Chapter 2

That dance season, Beca and Chloe seemed to take turns being in first and second place. Beca always excelled in artistry and emotion while Chloe always had nearly flawless technique. It seemed like the judges would give first and second depending on whether they valued artistry or technique higher. Both dancers qualified for nationals that year. Beca beat Chloe by 0.3. Chloe's group number beat Beca's by one point.

The girls themselves really didn't talk much to each other. Beca worried that Alyson might get angry if she was seen talking to Chloe, and Chloe didn't want to get Tracie upset either. Tracie had never told Chloe that she couldn't speak with anyone from Alyson's studio, but she didn't encourage them to socialize with those students either.

The next year, Beca and Chloe were in different age divisions. They still saw each other at a lot of competitions, but there wasn't any pressure to beat each other. One competition also had a workshop component to it. The day after the dancers competed, they had a day-long dance workshop. They took classes in different styles of dance with guest teachers. It was a great opportunity to learn from people with different teaching styles and philosophies. Beca and Chloe ended up in the same group for the convention and finally got to know each other a little without the pressure of competition and their teachers watching. They found they had a lot in common, and struck up a friendship by the end of the day. They exchanged phone numbers, and would occasionally text each other after their dance classes were over. The exchanges never went for very long because both girls were tired from a full day of school and three or four hours of dance. Most weekends were spent at competitions or shows. Neither one spent much time with anyone from their regular school because the other kids generally didn't understand that dance had to take priority over just about anything else.

The following year, Beca and Chloe were in the same age division again. While Beca had been working harder on her technique, and Chloe on her artistry, the scores still generally reflected Beca as the artist and Chloe as the technician. The girls decided to keep their friendship a secret from their teachers. Alyson had never further explained the problems between Tracie and herself, and Beca had long since decided she didn't care anymore.

Beca's solo competition piece this season was a sassy jazz number to "We Got the Beat" by the Go-Go's. She showed a lot of personality, and she was a real crowd pleaser. Chloe did a tap routine to "Bang Dem Sticks" by Meghan Trainor. It was a hoofer-style piece, and she was great at fitting the intricate sounds in with the rhythm. The girls were still competing against each other in the high score category. Usually, both would win for their styles, but they were neck and neck in the high score category. They had never scored more than a point apart.

One night after the competition, Chloe texted Beca to call her immediately. Beca's mom was asleep in the hotel room, so she quietly tiptoed outside to the balcony. She kept her voice down because her mom was a light sleeper.

"Hey Chloe, it's Beca. What's up?"

"Tracie finally told me why she and Alyson aren't speaking."

"I thought we decided we didn't care about that."

"I didn't until I heard the story."

"What happened?"

"Alyson and Tracie were competition rivals when they were growing up."

"So are we. Who cares?"

"Well, they were rivals off the dance floor as well. It started with Alyson doing some light trash talking, but things quickly got ugly." Chloe continued "Alyson would trip Tracie backstage. Tracie never got hurt, so Alyson moved on to 'accidentally' bumping into her on purpose. She knocked her down one time, and Tracie sprained her ankle. She had to miss an entire month of competition!"

"Are you sure? That doesn't sound like Alyson, and it could have really been an accident."

"That's what I said, but Tracie said it happened enough times that it wasn't likely. Dancers aren't exactly clumsy, you know."

"I don't know. I have no problem staying on my feet when I'm dancing, but I swear I trip over nothing while walking often enough."

"Okay, but explain this one. Tracie got thrown out of a competition when she was seventeen. They found a beer in her dance bag, and there's been a zero-tolerance policy on underage drinking at dance competitions for years. Tracie swears she never even touched the beer, and that Alyson must have planted it."

"That's weird. Alyson doesn't drink, and she doesn't even like beer. Why would she want Tracie out of the competition? She's always telling me a rivalry is healthy. She says it will help push me to work hard and do my best."

"Maybe you're right. I guess it's possible Tracie is just covering up a mistake and blaming Alyson. Anyway, I thought you should know."

"Thanks for letting me know." Beca yawned. "I'm really tired and we have the workshop tomorrow, so I'm going to hit the sack. My mom would kill me if she saw I was still up."

"Okay, good night." Chloe hung up. She was really confused. It seemed like a strange story for Tracie to make up. She hadn't even told Chloe she'd been thrown out of a competition before tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chloe's tap number is a reference to a YouTube video. Look up Christopher Rice on YouTube. He and many other Broadway dancers have a really cool routine up on his YouTube channel to the same song. It's called Bang Dem Taps. Totally worth watching, and more or less what I pictured Chloe doing.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day was a full day workshop of classes. Beca and Chloe were excited to spend the day together dancing without having to compete. Chloe helped give Beca some tips on straightening her legs and improving her toe point, and Beca helped Chloe dig deep within herself to pull the emotions out. At the last hour of the day, the students were told to partner up with someone outside of their dance studio and choreograph a sixty-second piece. They were given four music choices, but no other rules. Beca and Chloe happily partnered up and worked on a piece to "All That Jazz" from the musical Chicago. It was a musical theater style piece. Beca started to quietly sing the words as she suggested some moves. It was noisy in the room, and hard to hear her over the other dancers, but Chloe liked what she could hear of Beca's singing. They sang the piece together as they continued to work on the choreography. They worked really well together, and both gave excellent input as to how they wanted the piece to look.

After about an hour, all the pairs were invited to show their piece to the group. It was really interesting to watch how everyone interpreted the pieces of music differently. Beca and Chloe were among the last to perform. They were presenting their piece and the teachers and other students were really enjoying it. Both girls really put a lot of personality into the piece, and Beca kicked higher and with a straighter leg than anyone had ever seen. Just as they hit their last pose, the girls saw their respective teachers. Alyson was furious to see them dancing together, but Tracie just looked at Chloe with a raised eyebrow.

Alyson grabbed Beca by the arm. "What did I tell you about talking to Tracie's students?"

"I-I'm sorry," replied Beca meekly. "We were told to pair up with someone outside our studio and..." she trailed off.

"Hit the showers and be ready in an hour. Your mom asked me to take you home. She had to go back early and get some work done."

"Okay," said Beca quietly. She was bright red with embarrassment at this point. She grabbed her dance bag and suitcase and headed slowly to the locker room at the school where the convention was happening.

Chloe met up with Tracie. "Alyson sure looks mad. Whose idea was it for you two to pair up?" she asked Chloe.

"Ours. We actually worked really well together," replied Chloe.

"I don't mind you working with her students, but be careful. I wouldn't put it past her to have one of her students get you in trouble," said Tracie.

"Beca would never!" exclaimed Chloe.

"I hope you're right," said Tracie. "Hit the showers and meet the other dancers at the bus in an hour."

Chloe grabbed her things and headed to the showers. She was lost in her own thoughts when she heard a gorgeous voice singing:

_You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you say  
_ _I'm talking loud, not saying much  
_ _I'm criticized, but all your bullets ricochet  
_ _You shoot me down, but I get up  
_ _I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose  
_ _Fire away, fire away  
_ _Ricochet, you take your aim..._

Chloe had to see who it was. She was so compelled by this voice, she didn't even think about the fact that she was naked and should probably cover up. The idea of respecting the singer's privacy didn't even enter her mind.

She was shocked when she walked over to see it was Beca. She opened the curtain and walked right into Beca's shower, shut off the water, and said "Wow! You can really sing!"

"Dude!" yelled a very shocked Beca.

"How high does your belt go?" asked Chloe.

Beca, still shocked, said, "My what? Oh my god! I can't concentrate on anything you're saying until you cover your junk."

"You were singing Titanium, right?"

"You know David Guetta?"

"Have I been living under a rock? Yeah. That song is my jam, my  _lady_  jam."

"That's nice," replied Beca, looking away and trying to hide her body with the shower curtain.

"It is. That song really builds," said Chloe, winking.

Beca then realized what Chloe meant by lady jam and said "Gross."

"Can you sing it for me?" asked Chloe.

"Dude, no! Get out!" yelled Beca.

"No, not for that reason. I'm not leaving here until you sing."

Beca stood in silence for a minute, and Chloe just stood there, relaxed. It was clear that Chloe wasn't going to leave her alone, so Beca started the song over again at the chorus. She looked directly at Chloe's face so she wouldn't check out Chloe's body. She crossed her arms over her breasts, to try and have a tiny bit of privacy.

_I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose_

Chloe joined in, harmonizing.  _Fire away, fire away._

_Ricochet, you take your aim,_

_Fire away fire away_

Beca let her guard (and her arms) down, and continued.  _Shoot me down, but I won't fall_

 _I am titanium_  A smile broke out on Beca's face, and then Chloe's.

_Shoot me down, but I won't fall_

_I am titanium._

Both girls had big smiles after this. Their singing was beautiful, and the acoustics in the shower enhanced the sound. Beca waited for Chloe to get the hint and leave.

"Oh, yeah, I'm pretty confident about...all this," said Chloe, gesturing to her body.

Beca looked down at her briefly, and said, "You should be." She hoped Chloe wouldn't notice her blushing. Beca had never thought of herself being attracted to girls, but Chloe's body was amazing!

After a pause, Chloe still hadn't moved. Beca said, "I'm just going to shower now."

"Oh, yeah," said Chloe. She handed Beca a washcloth and went back to her shower. She then thought about how uncomfortable she probably made Beca, and she felt a little bad. However, her thoughts of Beca's body occupied most of her thoughts. Beca was petite, of course, but she had curves in all the right places. She couldn't believe it. She loved singing with her and hoped to have an opportunity to do it again.

Beca continued her shower and realized she wasn't even mad at Chloe. That was strange. Had it been nearly anyone else barging in on her shower, she'd have been livid. Did Chloe have some magical power over Beca? She also couldn't believe how much she enjoyed singing with Chloe. It would have been a lot more comfortable for her had they been clothed, though.

Both girls made it to their rides home without incident. Chloe slept for most of her bus ride, and Beca pretended to sleep in her teacher's car. She didn't want to talk about the rivalry between Alyson and Tracie. She wanted to think more about Chloe. She shut her eyes, and her mind just kept wandering to Chloe. She had an amazing body, and a gorgeous singing voice to match. Why was Beca so hung up on this? She'd figured she was straight, even though she'd never actually been interested in a boy. She had just thought it was because she was always dancing. There weren't very many boys in her studio and none on her competition team. She wasn't interested in any boys at school, but she rarely had time to see anyone at her school outside of school hours anyway. She wasn't sure what this meant if anything. She definitely had some thinking to do. She wanted to talk to Chloe some more as well.

Beca arrived home, ate dinner, and then said goodnight to her parents. She told them she was really tired from the competition and workshops.

Chloe walked into her home, a little groggy from sleeping on the bus ride, and ate dinner with her family. She was a little quieter than usual at first, but was her bubbly self by the time dinner was over. Her phone pinged with a text just as dinner was over.

_Beca: Can we talk?_

_Chloe: Sure. Call you in 5._

Chloe excused herself from the table and headed to the privacy of her bedroom. She called Beca. Beca picked up on the first ring.

"Hi, Chloe."

"Hi, Beca. What's up?"

"So, what was the deal with you invading my shower?" asked Beca.

"Sorry about that. I was just so taken by your singing voice I couldn't help myself," said Chloe. "Are you mad?"

"Honestly, no. The singing was nice. I'm not sure why you insisted I sing, but I have to admit I really liked singing with you. I didn't really know you could sing. I know we sang together a little when we did our choreography, but I couldn't hear how well with all those other voices in the room," said Beca.

"I felt the same way about your singing. I'm a dancer at heart, but singing is definitely my second love. I don't really know what came over me, though. I've never barged in on someone like that. I really didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," said Chloe.

"It's okay, but you really might want to think before doing that to someone else," replied Beca. She didn't want to tell Chloe that a big part of the reason she wasn't upset was that she was checking out Chloe's body.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. I'm glad you're not mad. Thanks for singing with me."

"Just next time you want to sing with me, can you make sure we both have clothes on?" asked Beca, laughing.

"I'll keep that in mind," said Chloe. She paused. "So, you're a sophomore now, right?" asked Chloe, changing the subject.

"Yeah," said Beca.

"I know it's early, but have you thought about college? I really thought about not going so I could start my dance career early, but my parents are really worried I won't have a backup plan. What do you think?" asked Chloe.

"I don't really know. I still have a few years to figure it out. I guess I always figured I'd go to college. I'm not sure I really want a career in dance. I love it, but I don't know if I'm interested in doing it full-time as an adult. I might consider a music career. I've been playing around with a music mixing program lately. I've been making mash-ups of different songs I like. I haven't gotten the guts to share them with anyone else, though," said Beca.

"Can I hear them sometime?" asked Chloe.

"I don't know if I'm ready to share them yet. Maybe," said Beca.

"Think about it. I'd love to hear them when you're ready to share," said Chloe.

"Okay, I will. I have to go. I have school tomorrow, and I'm so tired from this weekend," said Beca.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later. Bye," said Chloe, and she hung up.

Beca had a hard time sleeping that night. Why had she told Chloe about her music? She hadn't shared any of her mash-ups with anyone. She'd bought that music program and those expensive headphones on a whim. She wasn't even sure if any of it was any good. She was really good at matching tempos and rhythms, thanks to her dance training. But what if she was the only one who liked them? She also couldn't shake her attraction to Chloe. Was that because she was gay? Beca didn't know. She also wasn't sure how her family would take it if she was gay. Her parents were pretty conservative.

Chloe laid awake for a while after hanging up with Beca. She was pleasantly surprised that Beca had opened up to her like that. She really wanted to hear Beca's mash-ups, but she figured she'd already overstepped her bounds by invading her shower. Her thoughts quickly went back to Beca's body. Sure, she'd known before the shower that Beca had a nice body. That was one benefit to usually seeing her in leotards and tights, but seeing her naked was another thing. Chloe had realized a few years ago that she was gay. She'd gone on one date with a boy and realized she wasn't interested in him or any other boy at all and had developed crushes on a few female classmates in dance and at school. She'd never had the guts to ask anyone out, though. She didn't have time for dating due to her dance training as it was.


	4. Chapter 4

 

Competition season continued as always for the next couple of months with the girls seeming to "take turns" beating each other. Their teachers continued to feud, and the girls did their best to ignore it. However, they did generally avoid being seen together at competitions. They kept their texting friendship up but didn't see each other otherwise.

One day, while Alyson was driving Beca home from another competition, Beca finally worked up the courage to ask Alyson about the feud with Tracie. "Why do you and Tracie dislike each other so much? And why does it matter so much to you if we spend time with her students?"

"It goes back to when I was about your age, Beca," said Alyson.

"What happened?" asked Beca.

"We had a similar rivalry to you and Chloe, but we actually attended the same dance studio. I was always the artist, and Tracie was the technician. Tracie always felt like our teacher favored me. I never saw it that way, but I guess I did have a few more wins than she did."

"And?" Beca urged her to continue.

"One day, as I was warming up backstage, I didn't see Tracie and accidentally stuck my leg out for a stretch and tripped her. I felt awful, and I couldn't convince her it was an accident."

"Did she get hurt?" asked Beca, knowing the answer already because of her conversation with Chloe.

"It was a sprained ankle, but a nasty one. She missed a month of competition, and I know she blamed me."

"Is that all?" asked Beca, again, knowing the answer.

"No," said Alyson. "She got caught with a beer in her bag at a competition the next year when she was seventeen. She swore up and down it wasn't hers, and that I must have planted it." Beca just looked at her expectantly. "I didn't. I don't know how it got there, but I had nothing to do with it. I was only seventeen myself, and it wasn't like I was buying beer. I didn't have a fake ID or even any interest in getting one. I was always in dance class. When would I even be able to use one?"

"That was years ago, though. Why is she still holding a grudge?" asked Beca.

"Well, she could have gotten into more trouble than just getting thrown out of a competition. My teacher convinced the directors not to go to the authorities. I guess Tracie thought I was responsible because of the tripping accident and our rivalry. It was our senior year of high school, and there were scouts in the audience who could have given her college scholarships because of her dancing. She got thrown out of the competition, and word got around. She never even got considered for any of the scholarships, and I got a full ride to Julliard. She ended up in a program at NYU, but she had to pay. I'd guess she still has a ton of student loans. That one incident really messed up her life plan."

"Have you ever tried to talk to her and explain your side?" asked Beca.

"She won't talk to me. We've hardly spoken a word to each other since that competition. I just know she's filling her students' heads with lies about me," said Alyson. Beca didn't tell her what Chloe had said. Honestly, she wasn't even sure who to believe. It didn't seem like Alyson to go so far to get someone out of a dance competition, but it also seemed crazy to Beca that Tracie would make up a story that big.

Beca didn't ask any more questions, and Alyson didn't say anything more. She got home a half hour later, ate dinner with her parents, and headed to her room. She finished her last bit of homework that she hadn't managed to do at the competition, and texted Chloe.

_Beca: U up?_

_Chloe: Yeah_

_Beca: Can we talk?_

_Chloe: K_

Beca called Chloe, and she answered on the first ring.

"So, I talked to Alyson about the feud," said Beca.

"And?" asked Chloe.

"She told me basically the same two stories you did, except she claimed neither was her fault. She  _did_  trip Tracie, but she was stretching and didn't see her. She had no idea how the beer got into Tracie's bag, but she was insistent she didn't put it there," Beca told Chloe.

"What do you think?" asked Chloe.

"I don't know. It's weird, for both of them. Why would Alyson go that far to throw someone out of competition? Did Tracie tell you she lost out on college scholarships because of it?" asked Beca.

"No, but that makes sense."

"So, I get why Tracie is mad, but I don't get why Alyson is being so ridiculous. If she's really the innocent party here, why is she bad-mouthing you and your team?" asked Beca.

"That's what I don't get. I would have thought they would have talked this out by now. It's also really crazy to tell someone they can't talk to someone just because of their dance studio," Chloe pointed out.

"I wonder if this made the news. We should look up and see if we can find an article about it. Maybe it can give us some information we haven't already gotten from our teachers."

"Good idea. Why don't we both look it up tonight? We can talk tomorrow," said Chloe.

"Okay. When are you home from dance?" asked Beca.

"10. You?" asked Chloe.

"Same," said Beca. "Text me when you're back. My mom's been on my case about late night cell conversations, and I'd rather she not hear my cell ring."

"Okay. Talk to you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night," said Beca. She hung up the phone. She pulled up her laptop, and after a few google searches found an article. It was in the newsletter from a dance organization about twenty years prior. It didn't really share anything she didn't know about the "beer" incident. It simply said that Tracie had been caught with beer and had been thrown out of the competition. It also mentioned Alyson being awarded several scholarships. She looked up other newsletters from the dance organization and found another case of a student being thrown out of a dance competition for the same exact offense. She didn't recognize the name, so she searched further. She found an archive of score sheets from dance competitions around that time. She was surprised at what she found.

Meanwhile, Chloe was also searching for more information. She looked up her teacher's history at NYU to see how she'd done in college. She'd heard plenty of stories from her, but wanted to see it from a more objective point of view.

The next night, at 10 on the dot, Beca's phone buzzed with a text from Chloe. Beca called Chloe, and Chloe answered immediately.

"So, did you find anything?" asked Beca.

"I looked up Tracie's NYU history. I didn't find anything that she hadn't already told me except an article in the school paper about her performing for a charity benefit. Her group apparently raised a lot of money and got their picture with the director. What did you find?" Chloe asked Beca.

"I found some articles from old dance competition newsletters and some old competition score sheets. Apparently, Tracie wasn't Alyson's first rival."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, before Tracie came onto the competition scene, Alyson was big-time rivals with some dancer named Melissa. She also got thrown out of a competition for having a beer in her dance bag. I doubt that's a coincidence," said Beca.

"Probably not," agreed Chloe.

"What should we do?" asked Beca.

"Well, if I were you, I'd get out of Alyson's dance studio. What if she turns on you?"

"Good point. I guess I should share this with my parents. They're going to wonder otherwise."

"You probably should. Let's keep quiet about this to our teachers."

"I agree. It's getting late and I really need to head to bed."

"Me too. Good night, Beca."

"Good night, Chloe."

Beca thought for a while about the conversation. She wished it hadn't been so long ago that Alyson had caused so much trouble at the competitions. It was more than twenty years ago, and Alyson had been a minor at the time. There was no way going to the authorities would result in anything other than Beca being told it was too long ago for anyone to help.

The following morning, Beca told her parents about what she and Chloe had discovered about their dance teachers. Her parents knew the teachers were rivals, but they hadn't been aware that it went beyond friendly competition.

"Where did you see this information, Beca?" asked her mom.

"Chloe found it online in some old dance competition information," replied Beca. "Chloe found incidents of two different dancers being thrown out of competitions for possession of alcoholic beverages. It took some digging, but Chloe found out that both dancers had been big rivals of Alyson."

"That's pretty crazy. I guess we can't be sure Alyson was responsible for it, though," said her mom.

"She told me she didn't do it, but I don't know. She acts really crazy around Tracie, and she's always bad-mouthing her and her students. I don't trust Alyson anymore," she said. "I don't want to stay at her studio anymore. I want to dance at Tracie's."

"Alyson isn't going to like that," her mom said. "There's a fee to get us out of the contract. We'll only cancel if you are sure about this. It's a lot of money."

"I'm sure. I don't want to dance with a teacher who got two different students thrown out of a competition, and I hate the way she bad-mouths Tracie and her students."

"The bad-mouthing is pretty unprofessional. Maybe it's worth it to pay the cancellation fee. If you're sure, I'll head to the studio after work and cancel your enrollment. Just head home after school. We can sign you up at Tracie's tomorrow," said her mom.

"I'm sure," said Beca. "I can't wait to tell Chloe."

"Well, I bet you two will enjoy dancing together. I bet you can learn from each other," her mom said.

That day, Beca came straight home from school for the first time in probably five years. It felt weird to not have dance class after school, but it was nice. She got a head start on her English project, and watched some TV after dinner. It was even unusual to be home for dinner with her parents. She enjoyed herself, but she missed dancing.

"How did it go at the studio, Mom? Am I released?" asked Beca at dinner.

"Alyson's mad, and she charged us a pretty hefty fee, but I paid it. She can't force you to stay. She did say that we are to return all of your borrowed costumes and that you are absolutely not to use any of her choreography in competition, though," her mom replied.

"I'll get everything together after dinner. I don't want her costumes, and I doubt Tracie would want me using Alyson's choreography anyway," said Beca.

"I'll drop everything off after work tomorrow," said her dad. "I want to make sure we get our costume deposit back."

"Thanks, Dad," said Beca.

"I'll take you to Tracie's after school tomorrow. I called her on the way back from Alyson's, and she's very excited to have you in her studio," said her mom.

"I'm excited too. I'll call Chloe tonight and tell her the good news!" said Beca, excitedly.

"Don't stay up too late!" said both of her parents.

"I won't!"

Beca called Chloe at 10 that night.

"Guess what?" said Beca.

"What?" asked Chloe.

"My mom is enrolling me at Tracie's tomorrow!" exclaimed Beca.

"That's totes awesome, Beca," said Chloe.

"I can't wait."

"Me neither."

"That's great, Beca, but I really have to get to bed now. Long day tomorrow, but I'm really looking forward to spending the evening with you!"

"Me too. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight!"


	5. Chapter 5

Beca's mom picked her up after school and immediately drove her to Tracie's dance studio. Beca was excited, but trying very hard to keep her cool. Tracie greeted Beca with a warm hug when they came in.

"Beca, why don't you go in and warm up with the other students while your mom signs you up? They're starting ballet class shortly."

"Okay." Beca got into her ballet shoes and walked in. She felt a little shy until she saw Chloe. Chloe greeted her with a bright smile and a tight hug. "Does everyone at this studio hug?" asked Beca.

"Just Tracie and me," said Chloe, laughing. "Let me introduce you to the girls. This is Stacie, Aubrey, Ashley, Jessica, and Lilly." Stacie was a tall brunette with long legs. Aubrey was a tall blonde with green eyes. Ashley had dark brown hair and brown eyes. Jessica had blonde hair and a bright smile. Lilly was Asian with thick bangs.

"Hi," said Beca, again feeling a little shy. The other girls were stretching on the studio floor, so Beca took a spot next to Chloe and joined them. "It figures ballet would be first. It's not really my strong suit," she told Chloe quietly.

"You'll be fine," Chloe assured Beca.

"Okay, everyone, I see you've met Beca. Please make her feel welcome. Beca, we are starting barre work. Please just follow along with the girls. I'm sure you'll keep up just fine," said Tracie. Tracie started the music for barre work, and Beca took a spot next Chloe at the barre. Tracie's barre work was more difficult than Beca was used to. She struggled a bit and found Tracie corrected her more than the other girls. Tracie noticed Beca looking a little flustered. "You're doing fine, Beca. Once you get used to my teaching methods, you'll catch up. I see Alyson hasn't worked as much on ballet with you. Be patient with yourself and apply corrections and you'll get there," said Tracie.

Once the class began to practice combinations in the center, Beca felt a bit better. She still felt behind the other girls, but she liked the freedom of moving in the center of the room. Again, she took a spot next to Chloe, and she felt a little more comfortable dancing next to her friend.

Jazz class followed after ballet, and Beca did well. She really shone when Tracie played a song and told the girls to improvise. Beca lost herself in the music and broke out some fun and sassy moves.

Lyrical was the last class of the evening. Beca enjoyed this, and Tracie complimented her on showing her emotions in the piece of choreography.

Before Beca left the studio, Tracie spoke with Beca and her mom. "It's too late to put Beca in any of our current group competition numbers, but I'd love to talk to you about some other options."

"What did you have in mind?" asked Beca's mom.

"Beca, I'd love to give you a solo. Your sassy jazz moves are great. I think I can choreograph something for you. It won't be ready for competition for at least a few weeks, but I'd still like you to travel with the others for the competition this weekend."

"I'd like that," said Beca. "I don't have any costumes anymore, though. They were all borrowed from Alyson."

"I'm sure we have something you can use," said Tracie. "I was also wondering if you would be interested in a duet?"

"I'd like that too. Could Chloe be my duet partner?" asked Beca.

"Chloe is exactly who I had in mind for your duet partner. I think that would be wonderful. The judges are so used to seeing the two of you compete against each other, I can't wait to see what they think of you on stage together!" said Tracie.

"Great! Can I tell Chloe myself?" asked Beca.

"Sure. I don't know what style we are choosing yet, but I'll think about it and try to pick some music and tell you soon," said Tracie.

"Great! Thanks so much!" exclaimed Beca.

On the way home, Beca's mom asked her about the new studio. "What did you think? It looks like Tracie really liked you."

"I really like everyone there, but the ballet class is really tough. I hope she doesn't make our duet a ballet duet. Chloe's really good, but I can't do what she does," said Beca.

"I'm sure Chloe says that about you too. I can't wait to see you two on stage together," said her mom.

"Do you mind if I call her right now from the car?" asked Beca.

"Go ahead. Then maybe you won't be on the phone with her when you're supposed to be in bed," her mom said.

Beca blushed. "Sorry."

Beca called Chloe. "Hey, Chloe guess what?"

"What?"

"Tracie wants to give us a duet!"

"That's great! What kind?"

"I don't know yet, but I hope it isn't ballet."

"Beca, you were fine in class today. Don't worry so much."

"I can't do what you do."

"You'll get it."

"I hope so. I can't wait to dance with you on stage! I'm going to travel with you guys next weekend to watch the competition. I'm so excited!"

"That's great, Beca. I have to go. My mom just pulled up in front of our house."

"Okay, bye Chloe."

"Bye, Beca."

Beca walked in with a smile on her face. She finished her homework while eating her dinner, and headed quietly up to bed. She could hardly sleep because she was so excited about her new dance school.

Beca went to dance on Wednesday, and it was much like Tuesday except she ended the day with a tap class instead of lyrical. Tracie was impressed with Beca's ability to pick up the various rhythms.

Tracie spoke with Beca's mom as she was picking her up. "I wanted to let you know that this team usually travels without parents. I know a lot of the parents end up missing a lot of work for competitions. Once my dancers are in high school, I allow them to travel without parents, provided their parents are okay with it. Would you allow Beca to travel without you this weekend? I keep a very close eye on the dancers, and we've never had a problem."

"I guess that would be okay. I have a lot going on at work right now, and I was worried about getting it done," said Beca's mom. "Beca, are you okay traveling without me?"

"I guess that's okay," said Beca.

"Then it's settled," said Tracie. "I have my students double up in the rooms to save money. It's also easier to keep an eye on them. Talk to the girls tomorrow. You can share with one of them, or you can share with me. There's an uneven number of you, so someone will have to share with me."

"Okay, we'll decide tomorrow. Thanks," said Beca. She and her mom headed home.

Thursday, Beca went to the studio. Before ballet class began, Tracie gave her the team jacket and matching pants the others wore for competition. The jacket even had her name on it. Beca couldn't believe she was getting the team jacket with her name on it so early. Tracie said she'd called in a favor and had the shop rush the order.

In between classes that day, Beca and Chloe found themselves alone in one of the studio dressing rooms. Beca asked Chloe, "Do you want to share a hotel room?"

"I'm so glad you asked. I usually share with Aubrey, but I was hoping to share with you this time," said Chloe. She gave Beca a hug. Beca jumped a little in surprise. She really wasn't used to hugs, but she figured this was something Chloe was probably always going to do.

"I think it's cool that Tracie lets us go to the competition without our moms. I like hanging out with my mom, but I know she misses a lot of work to take me to competitions," said Beca.

"Yeah, it's great. My mom comes along sometimes, but she's usually working. It's great that our parents trust our teacher and trust us to stay out of trouble," said Chloe.

"I'm a little nervous about sharing a room with you. Are you going to pop in on my shower again?" asked Beca, teasingly.

"You're not going to let me live that down, are you?" asked Chloe.

"Nope," said Beca with a giggle.

"I promise I won't invade your shower," said Chloe in a serious tone.

"Thanks," said Beca.

The other girls came in after that and discussed room arrangements. Tracie insisted on the girls sorting this out before leaving for every competition. She didn't want her dancers seen arguing about room assignments in hotel lobbies. Jessica and Ashley planned to share a room. Stacie would room with Aubrey, and Lilly would share with Tracie.


	6. Chapter 6

Beca arrived at the dance studio after school the next Friday with her suitcase packed. It felt weird to not be bringing a dance bag and dance shoes, but she was glad to be there with her new friends. She immediately sat next to Chloe on the bus. She and Chloe had become nearly inseparable in the week and a half at the dance studio.

Once the bus started, Beca took out her headphones. She turned to Chloe and said, "Hey, Chloe."

"Yeah?" Chloe said.

"Remember how I told you about music mixing? I made one just for you," said Beca.

"For me? I can't wait to hear it," said Chloe, hugging Beca. Beca jumped a little less this time. It seemed just about every occasion was a reason to hug in Chloe's world. Beca put her headphones on Chloe and played the track. It was a mix of Titanium and Bulletproof. Chloe smiled ear to ear as she listened. "Wow, Beca, this stuff is pretty cool," she said.

"You like it?" asked Beca.

"Totes," said Chloe.

"I've never shared my mixes with anyone," said Beca.

"So, why did you share it with me?" asked Chloe.

"Because I made it with you in mind," said Beca.

"Is Titanium because of that time in the shower?" asked Chloe, quietly.

Beca blushed. "Well, yeah." She whispered, "But please don't 'lady jam' on the bus, especially with me right next to you."

Chloe laughed. "Then I guess we'd better turn it off."

"Chloe!" yelled Beca.

"Relax, I'm kidding," said Chloe, laughing even harder.

The girls arrived at the hotel and got their room keys from Tracie. Tracie gave the girls an hour to get settled into their rooms, and then they were to meet in the hotel lobby. The plan for the evening was to go out to dinner, and then head back to the rooms early. Lights were to be out by 10, and then the girls were due to meet in the hotel's breakfast room by 7 so they could leave for the competition at 8.

Beca and Chloe got into their room and unpacked. It took Beca a lot less time than Chloe because all she had to make sure she had was her new competition team uniform. She brought some light makeup to wear so she wouldn't look too out of place among her friends in stage makeup.

The girls all met for dinner. Tracie took them to a nice restaurant. She reminded the girls to make healthy choices. Beca opted for a salad and some grilled chicken. The restaurant was so much nicer than anywhere Beca usually ate. She looked at the cloth napkins and the extra utensils nervously. "Hey, Chloe," she whispered. "How do I know which fork to use?"

"Just work from the outside in," Chloe whispered back.

"Thanks."

The girls made light conversation with Tracie about how school was going and other things. Beca was surprised that not one person brought up anything about the upcoming competition. She went along with it and learned some more about the girls. Aubrey would be graduating high school this year. She'd already been accepted and given a full scholarship to Barden University. The school was only about a 45-minute drive from Tracie's Dance School. Aubrey was going into pre-law with a minor in dance. Chloe was the only junior in high school. The others were sophomores like Beca. Ashley and Jessica were next door neighbors and had been inseparable since they were toddlers. Stacie modeled on the side. She frequently entered photogenic competitions if they were part of dance competitions, and she usually won. Lilly was very quiet. Beca could hardly understand a word she said. She didn't want to be rude and ask her to repeat herself, so she just nodded along with her. She hoped she hadn't agreed to anything crazy.

After dinner, the girls rode the bus back to the hotel. Tracie told the girls to stay in their rooms after dinner so they wouldn't stay up late.

Beca and Chloe headed to their room, and then the phone in their room rang. It was Aubrey. She and Stacie had formed a plan for the girls to hang out in secret. The plan was to quietly leave their rooms about 5 minutes apart until they were in Beca and Chloe's room, which was the furthest from Tracie's. Aubrey insisted they still make it back to their rooms by 10 for lights out. Aubrey and Stacie agreed to call Jessica and Ashley, and Beca and Chloe would figure out how to get Lilly. Chloe texted Lilly to work out a plan to get her out of her room. Since Lilly was sharing a room with Tracie, it was going to be tricky to get her out of the room without blowing their cover. Lilly was very soft spoken, and most people didn't understand her when she spoke. They asked Lilly to quietly ask for permission to swim in the hotel pool, knowing that if she asked enough times, Tracie would finally say "yes" to spare herself the trouble of having to repeat herself multiple times.

Their plan worked! Aubrey and Stacie arrived first. Ashley and Jessica walked in ten minutes later, and Lilly arrived five minutes later in her bathing suit and carrying a towel. Aubrey reminded them to keep the volume down as a noise complaint would really blow their cover. Aubrey was the unofficial "mother" of the group.

The girls started with a game of "Never Have I Ever." It made for an interesting icebreaker. The girls were to hold up five fingers, and they were to put a finger down if they'd done what the person said they'd never done. The last one holding up any fingers would be the winner.

Stacie went first. "Never have I ever..." she thought for a minute, "gotten my hair cut short." All the other girls put a finger down.

"You've never had short hair?" asked Beca. "And, really, that's all you could come up with?"

"Nope. Bad for modeling," said Stacie. "And, yes, it's hard to come up with stuff I've  _never_  done." Stacie winked. The score was Stacie 5, the others 4.

Beca went next. "Never have I ever...been on a date." She immediately blushed. It was the first thing that popped into her head. Again, all the other girls put a finger down. The score was Beca 4, Stacie 4, the others 3.

"You've never been on a date?" asked Stacie.

"I never had time with my training, and I really have only liked one person enough to even consider it," said Beca, stealing a quick glance at Chloe. Chloe winked at her, and Beca blushed again. Luckily for Beca, nobody else seemed to notice.

Ashley was next. "Never have I ever...been drunk." Stacie and Aubrey each put a finger down. The score was Beca 4, Aubrey 2, the others 3.

"Aubrey?" Chloe said, incredulously. "When?"

"Stacie's last modeling gig. If you ever go with her to one of those, do NOT go to the after party, especially with this one," said Aubrey, pointing to Stacie _._ Stacie just smiled proudly.

Jessica was next. "Never have I ever stolen something." Ashley put a finger down. The score was Beca 4, Aubrey 2, Ashley 2, others 3.

"I once stole a candy bar from the convenience store when I was 6," said Ashley. "My mom made me give it back and apologize."

Aubrey was next. "Never have I ever...been late to dance class." Everyone put a finger down. The score was Beca 3, Aubrey 2, Ashley 1, others 2.

Beca said, "Never? You've never been stuck in traffic or had your ride show up late?"

Aubrey said, "I always plan to arrive half an hour early so I'm never late." Beca rolled her eyes.

Lilly was next. "Never have I ever..." and then she mumbled something that Beca was almost positive was "set fires to feel joy." Nobody put a finger down because nobody was exactly sure what she had said. Lilly just smiled.

Chloe was last. "Never have I ever...been kissed." Everyone put a finger down except Beca. Beca hoped nobody saw her blush. Chloe said, "So the one date I went on was with a boy, and that's how I figured out I was gay. I wasn't about to let him kiss me!" she said, laughing. Ashley was out. The score was Beca 3, Chloe 2, others 1.

_What was this? Chloe was gay? How did I not know that?_  Beca thought. She made a mental note to talk to Chloe about it once they were alone again.

"I'm out!" said Ashley. "Stacie, your turn!"

"Never have I ever..." Stacie thought for a minute. "had my tonsils out." Beca and Chloe each put a finger down. The score was Beca 2, others 1.

"I was 7. I spent the week eating ice cream and watching cartoons. I haven't had strep throat since!" said Beca.

"I was 8. I made my mom watch the movie Annie with me so many times she hid the VHS by the end of the week!" said Chloe.

"Why does that not surprise me?" asked Beca.

"What can I say? I saw myself in her. Gingers have to stick together!" said Chloe. The other girls laughed.

"My turn," said Beca. "Never have I ever...watched any Star Wars movies." All the others put a finger down, and Beca was the winner!

"Really?" asked Chloe.

"I don't like movies very much. They're too predictable. Vader means father in German," said Beca.

"It's Vater in German. Vader is Dutch," said Aubrey.

"Whatever. His name literally means Father," said Beca, rolling her eyes.

"This conversation is so weird. I have no idea how either of you knows this," said Jessica.

The girls decided to watch some TV before lights were out. They flipped channels and soon found Dirty Dancing on a cable channel. It was at the scene of the last dance. This was one of the few movies Beca actually enjoyed. They all discussed what would happen if any of them tried to do the lift at the end at dance class. They all laughed and made guesses as to what the look would be on Tracie's face if they asked her to teach it to them.

Once the movie ended, Aubrey announced they should all leave. They decided to leave in the order they'd arrived, and that Lilly should get into Beca and Chloe's shower for a couple minutes so she wouldn't have to explain dry hair and a dry bathing suit to Tracie. Chloe made sure the coast was clear, and Aubrey and Stacie left the room. Jessica and Ashley left after they did. Beca heard some weird noises in the shower and saw that Lilly was in there making bizarre noises under the running water. Beca managed to get Lilly to stop it when she got out of the shower.

It was 9:45 when Beca and Chloe were finally alone. They changed into pajamas and got into their respective beds.

"Hey, Chloe?" asked Beca.

"Yeah?"

"How did you know you were gay? Besides that horrible date with a boy?"

"Well, that was the final step in my realization. If I had to think about it, I guess I'd say maybe I had an inkling of it in middle school. I got a little crush on the girl who sat next to me in science. I thought maybe I just enjoyed her company, but I kept having dreams about kissing her," said Chloe.

"Did you ever tell her about them?"

"No way. I was too scared, and I really wasn't sure what those dreams meant if anything. Once I started high school, I noticed that I was developing crushes on girls. I tried to deny it, and even went on a date with a guy named Tom."

"How did that go?" asked Beca.

"Well, I didn't enjoy it, but that's not Tom's fault. I just realized when we were out that I was way more interested in the girls at the table next to us in the restaurant than I was in Tom. He went in for a kiss as we walked to the door and I pushed him away. The idea of kissing him, or really any boy, grossed me out," said Chloe.

"What did you tell Tom?" asked Beca.

"I just told him he was really nice, but I didn't feel a connection. He was hurt, but I guess he's over it because we're still friends," said Chloe. "I'm not out at school yet. My fellow dance students are the only ones who know, besides my parents and Annabelle."

"That's cool."

It was 10, so the girls shut the lights off. Chloe knew Tracie would be checking on them in the next few minutes, and she didn't want to get in trouble. Usually, Tracie just walked down the hall to see if everyone's lights were off. She'd only go into their rooms if the lights were on and/or she could hear the girls talking. "Good night, Beca," she whispered.

"Good night, Chloe," Beca whispered.

At 10:30, Beca was still not asleep. She was tossing and turning in her bed, trying to keep quiet. It wasn't working. "Chloe?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm having trouble sleeping."

"Me too. Can I join you in your bed?"

"Huh? I guess," Beca said, hesitantly.

"Good," said Chloe. She walked over to Beca's bed and climbed in, immediately putting her arms around Beca. Beca had gotten used to Chloe's hugs, but this was a little different. She tensed up at first but then relaxed. It actually felt nice. "I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but I forgot to pack my teddy bear," Chloe said.

"You sleep with a stuffed animal, too?" said Beca, immediately realizing she hadn't meant to say "too" out loud. "Umm...I mean, you sleep with a stuffed animal?"

"Too late Beca, your secret's out," said Chloe, giggling. "Don't worry, I won't tell."

"Thanks," said Beca. "I usually sleep with a stuffed dog, but I didn't pack it."

"That's okay, we can cuddle each other," said Chloe, tightening her hold on Beca. It ended up being just what she needed to fall asleep.

Beca woke up at 6 when the wake-up call came in and saw an arm across her body. She turned her head to see Chloe's smiling face and took the better part of a minute to remember Chloe had climbed into bed with her the previous night.

"Morning, Beca."

"Morning, Chloe. Which one of us is showering first?" Beca asked.

"I guess I'll go first because I have to get into competition hair and makeup," said Chloe. "Care to join me?" she joked.

"In your dreams, Chloe," Beca said, rolling her eyes.

Chloe showered, singing "Titanium." Beca remembered what Chloe had told her about that song and cringed. She really hoped Chloe wasn't having her "lady jam" in there.

"Your turn, Beca," Chloe said. She walked out of the shower with a big smile.

"Nice song, Chloe," said Beca.

"Totes," said Chloe, winking at her.

"Seriously, Chloe?"

"A girl has needs," said Chloe.

"Too much information," said Beca.

Beca showered and then quickly dressed in her competition uniform, dried her hair, and applied light makeup. Chloe was putting the finishing touches on her stage makeup. The girls made it down to the hotel breakfast room right at 7. They went to the buffet and then sat next to each other with their breakfast. Beca noticed Chloe picking at her food. "You okay, Chloe?" asked Beca.

"I'm fine. I always have a hard time eating on competition days. I'm too nervous," said Chloe.

"Don't be. You're always awesome," said Beca.

"Thanks, but my stomach is in knots!" said Chloe.

"Relax," said Beca, putting a hand on Chloe's back and gently rubbing it. "You're going to be great like you always are." Chloe took a breath and managed a few bites of her eggs and a couple sips of coffee. She dumped the rest of it after staring at it for a good ten minutes. The girls made some polite conversation with their teammates and teacher. Beca and Chloe excused themselves and headed back to their room to pack. Beca helped Chloe make sure she had all her costume pieces and that her hair was in place. Chloe freshened up her lipstick, and they were down in the hotel lobby at 8. Tracie checked the girls' rooms for any items they may have left, checked everyone out of their rooms, and they boarded the bus for the short ride to the competition.


	7. Chapter 7

The competition was the usual hustle and bustle – mostly girls and a few boys carrying tons of costumes, big dance bags, and huge makeup kits, frustrated parents trying to convince little girls to sit still and put on their fake eyelashes, etc. Beca spotted Alyson and her old teammates. It was really awkward for her. Her old teammates didn't say a word to her or even make eye contact. Beca tried to ignore them, but it hurt her feelings. She'd been dancing with most of them for several years. Alyson didn't say a word to Beca but shot Tracie a few dirty looks. Tracie noticed Beca's discomfort and whispered "Just ignore them" to Beca.

The girls made it to their dressing room, and Beca helped her new teammates. First up was Chloe's solo. Beca made sure Chloe's costume was pinned and checked to make sure her tap shoes were tied tightly. Chloe warmed up, and Beca was in charge of the music. Chloe ran her solo a few times, and then it was ready for her to head to the stage. Beca had planned to sit in the audience with her teammates, but Chloe begged Beca to wait backstage. Beca had no idea before that day that Chloe battled nerves like this at competitions! Beca agreed and waited backstage with Chloe. She squeezed Chloe's hand when they called Chloe's name. Chloe took a deep breath and walked out on stage to her starting position.

Chloe's solo was great! She didn't miss a single beat. Beca peeked at the judges while Chloe was dancing, and they seemed really engaged in the performance. Chloe managed to keep her smile throughout the number. She breathed a huge sigh of relief after she exited the stage.

"That was great, Chloe. Probably the best I've seen you do it!" Beca exclaimed.

"Thanks," said Chloe. "I hope the judges liked it."

"They seemed to. I sneaked a peek," said Beca.

"I hope so. I still need to use my face more," said Chloe.

"It looked good, Chloe. I don't think you have anything to worry about," said Beca.

After Chloe was done, the whole team headed to the dressing room. It was time for everyone except Beca to get into the costume for the group routine. Beca helped everyone get their costumes set and hair in place. She wished she was dancing, but she was happy to be there to support her new team.

The team headed backstage, and Beca took a seat in the audience with Tracie. It felt really strange to be at a competition and to just sit in the audience. She was so used to being the one on stage. It hadn't bothered her when Chloe was dancing because she was usually watching Chloe from backstage. She was also focused on supporting her friend. Watching the team from the audience, however, felt really different.

Alyson's team took the stage for their group routine. It was a pretty lyrical number, one where Beca had originally been the lead. Beca was a little sad to watch her old team, especially because they'd all stopped talking to her. They did well, and Beca couldn't argue that her old teammate Denise had done a really nice job with the part that had originally been Beca's.

Tracie's team took the stage for their group routine. It was a ballet number to one of the ballet pieces from the opera Faust. Beca had seen them rehearse it numerous times, and she was actually somewhat thankful she wasn't in that piece. She'd gotten a little better at ballet since entering Tracie's studio, but she wasn't up to par with the others yet. Beca applauded her team generously when they finished. Tracie seemed pleased with the performance, but she gave a few pieces of constructive criticism to each girl as they entered the dressing room. "Lilly, stop looking at your feet. Jessica, straighten your legs better on the developé. Ashley, better toe point in your passé. Stacie, shoulders back when you turn. Aubrey and Chloe, relax and smile more." Beca hadn't seen any of these errors!

Next, everyone except Lilly changed into their competition uniforms. Lilly had a hip-hop solo to "Flawless" by Beyoncé. Beca helped her take her hair out of a bun and let her bangs down. Lilly quickly changed into her hip-hop costume and dance sneakers, and Chloe fixed Lilly's hair into a high, straight ponytail. Lilly ran her solo briefly in the dressing room. Lilly headed backstage, and the rest of the team sat in the audience with Tracie. As usual, Beca and Chloe sat together. They called Lilly's name, and Beca was surprised to find Chloe grabbing her hand as Lilly was about to start. Beca was going to say something, but Chloe's hand felt nice in hers.

Lilly began her solo, and Beca was surprised to see Lilly look so outgoing. She was so quiet in real life and painfully shy, but she was totally different on stage. She had some really hard-hitting hip-hop moves and showed the audience a ton of personality. The audience was really loving her performance. She hit her ending pose, and Beca and Chloe finally let go of the hands they were holding to clap wildly for Lilly.

The girls met Lilly in the dressing room and waited while Lilly changed into her competition uniform. They all headed to the stage for the awards. Beca went to sit in the audience with Tracie, but Tracie told her to take the stage with her team. "I know you didn't dance, but you're part of the team and you should be up there." Beca nodded and cautiously walked up to the stage with her teammates, wondering how they'd feel. She got another Chloe hug (she only jumped a little in surprise this time), and sat on the stage with her team.

Solo awards came up first. Chloe won for tap and overall high score for solos in her age division. Lilly won for hip-hop and got the third overall high score for solos in her age division. The team won first in ballet, but they got second in overall group routines behind Alyson's studio. Beca knew this was not a great situation. She avoided eye contact with her old team because she could feel their smirks from across the stage.

"Did you see my old team smirking at us?" Beca asked Chloe on the bus ride back.

"Yeah, real mature," Chloe replied sarcastically.

"Well, I guess that shows you made the right decision to leave."

"Yeah, I think so. I miss my old team, though. I just can't believe they acted so smug. They were one place ahead of us. I thought they were my friends, but obviously, they're not."

"Me neither. You know who your real friends are now, though. All of us!" Chloe said. The other teammates nodded in agreement. The rest of the ride was pretty quiet. Ashley and Jessica fell asleep on each other. Aubrey was quietly working on a homework assignment, and Stacie was playing on her phone. Lilly was reading a book. Chloe held Beca's hand like she'd done in the audience. She put her head on Beca's shoulder and was quietly snoring within minutes. Beca didn't mind, and she put her headphones on and listened to music for the rest of the ride. After spending the previous night with Chloe cuddled up to her, this somehow felt natural to Beca.

Beca's mom met her at the studio, and Beca was all smiles. "How'd it go?" she asked.

"It was really fun. I love my teammates. I miss dancing, though. I hope I get to dance at the next competition," Beca said.

Beca got home and headed to her room. She had thought of some tweaks to her mixes when she was listening to them on the bus ride, and she couldn't wait to try them out. She and Chloe texted some light chat for a little while. Beca ate dinner with her parents, and then spent the rest of the evening in her room, working on her mixes.


	8. Chapter 8

Sunday was a rare day off for Beca. Normally she was at a competition or a convention, but she didn't have any dance-related obligations for once. While she was eating breakfast, a text from Chloe came through, inviting her to spend the day with her. "Hey Mom, Chloe invited me to hers for the day. Can I go?" Beca asked her Mom.

"You two aren't sick of each other yet?" her Mom asked.

"Nope. So, can I go?" asked Beca again.

"I guess so. Clean up your breakfast and get dressed. I'll drop you off," said her Mom.

"Thanks, Mom," said Beca. She put on a black tank top and black skinny jeans and a red and black flannel shirt over top. She wore her favorite black ankle boots on her feet. She left her hair down and just made sure she'd brushed it nicely.

Beca found herself a bit nervous as she knocked on Chloe's door. She'd known Chloe for years, but only recently had it gone beyond texting and seeing each other at dance competitions. Chloe answered the door wearing a blue and black striped sleeved sweater that brought out her eyes, dark blue jeans, and black boots. She wore her beautiful red wavy hair down and greeted Beca with her usual big hug. Beca didn't even jump this time. Beca's mom raised an eyebrow at Beca, and Beca shrugged. "I've spent enough time with Chloe that I'm  _almost_ used to Chloe hugs by now," Beca said.

"Whatever you say, Beca," her mom said, laughing. "Have fun, you two. Beca, text me when you need me to pick you up."

"Okay, mom."

"Well, let me show you around," Chloe said to Beca. She gave her a quick tour of the house. Chloe's house was really nice. She had a really pretty living room, a fancy dining room, and part of the basement had been set up like a small dance studio with a ballet barre.

Beca's eyes widened. "You have a small dance studio in your house?" she asked.

"Yeah. My dad set it up so I had somewhere to practice. I think it's because my mom got tired of me knocking things over," Chloe laughed.

"That's amazing. There's no room in my house for a studio," said Beca.

"Well, you're always welcome to practice here," said Chloe.

"I might take you up on that," said Beca, thoughtfully.

Chloe walked her through the rest of the house. She briefly showed Beca her parents' room, and then her sister Annabelle's room. Annabelle was away at college. There was a guest room, and then Chloe showed Beca her room. Like Beca would have expected, it was pink. The walls were pink, and there were framed pictures of ballerinas on the walls. There were quite a few dance trophies and ribbons. Her bed was white, and covered with a pink comforter that matched the pink curtains on Chloe's windows. She had a pink teddy bear with a white and gold tutu on the bed. She also had a nice stereo and a laptop computer. "What do you think?" asked Chloe.

"It's really nice. I figured it would be pink," she said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chloe asked.

"You always struck me as someone who would have a pink room," Beca said.

"Really?" Chloe asked.

"Definitely."

"Well I wouldn't have figured on you being someone who sleeps with a stuffed animal," Chloe said with a wink.

"Hey! We all have our weaknesses," said Beca. "What's yours?"

Chloe looked at Beca, took a deep breath, looked down at Beca's lips, and said, "You." Before Beca realized what was happening, Chloe took Beca's face in her hands and kissed her. Beca gasped in shock initially and returned the kiss. She'd never kissed anyone before, and she hoped she was doing it right.

"Ummm...what was that?" asked Beca.

"Sorry, Beca. I just...ummmm...and you're...so..." said Chloe. "Are you mad? I mean, you seemed into it, and..."

"Chloe, I'm not mad. I was surprised, but I liked it. I didn't know you were into me."

"Yeah. Are you...umm...into me?" asked Chloe, saying the last words so quietly Beca almost couldn't hear them.

Instead of answering Chloe, Beca leaned in and kissed her. She couldn't resist the urge to run her fingers through Chloe's hair when they kissed now that she'd seen it down. Chloe had her hands in Beca's hair. They broke the kiss after a few minutes, both flushed but smiling.

"Does that answer your question?" asked Beca, smirking.

"Wow, Beca. I can't believe that was your second kiss ever," said Chloe.

"Thanks," said Beca, blushing. "I can say the same about you. So, what does this mean?"

"I don't know," said Chloe, shrugging. "I just know I liked it."

"Me too." The girls continued kissing for a bit. Chloe broke the kiss and took a deep breath.

"Okay," said Chloe. "We should do something else. Besides, my parents are not going to be happy if they think I brought you here to make out." Both girls giggled at this.

Beca pulled a USB drive out of her pocket. "I made some new mixes. Wanna hear them?"

"Of course," said Chloe. "I hoped you had more to share."

"Yeah, I've been playing around with these for a few weeks," said Beca. "I'm not sure they're exactly how I want them yet. Let me know if you have any thoughts." Chloe put the USB drive in her laptop and hooked it up to the stereo. She played one of the mixes. It was "Price Tag" and "Don't You Forget About Me."

"Beca, this is great. But who is that singing 'Don't You Forget About Me'? It's obviously not Simple Minds."

"That's me.

"Really? That's great."

"You think so? I feel like it needs something," said Beca, thoughtfully.

"Maybe another singing track?" asked Chloe.

"Do you want to sing it?" asked Beca.

"Could I?" asked Chloe.

"I don't see why not. If you come over to mine, we should record you singing," said Beca.

"Let's do that," said Chloe.

Beca and Chloe hung out for a while. After lunch, they were back in Chloe's room. They talked more about their pasts, and how they started dance.

"My mom tells me so I was so hyper when I was little," Beca told Chloe. "She and dad put me in dance to channel some of that energy."

"Did it work?" asked Chloe.

"From the stories they tell me about myself at that age, I'd say it didn't," laughed Beca. "I apparently knocked down the shower curtain rod when I hung off of it." Chloe laughed. "I'm pretty sure I'm responsible for quite a few holes in the wall my Dad has had to patch. What started you in dance?"

"I really owe it all to Annabelle. I looked up to her so much that I was going to do anything she did. I still look up to her, but I'm glad I didn't quit dance like she did," said Chloe.

"I'm glad you didn't quit too. I would never have met you," said Beca.

"Yeah," said Chloe. She paused, and then took a deep breath and said, "Beca, I think I like you more than a friend."

"Is it just because we kissed?" asked Beca.

"Well, I think I felt that way before, but I think the kissing kind of sealed the deal," said Chloe. She planted a kiss on Beca's lips. Beca blushed.

"I've been feeling that way about you, too," said Beca.

"Can I confess something?" asked Chloe.

"Okay."

"I cuddled up to you in the hotel the other night because I wanted to be close to you. I do sleep with a teddy bear, but that really wasn't why I wanted to share a bed with you."

"I was surprised how much I enjoyed cuddling with you," said Beca. "I'm not really even a hugger. I guess it's my turn to confess."

"Oh?" asked Chloe, intrigued.

"Umm..." said Beca. "I kind of checked you out that time in the shower." Her voice got quieter as she spoke the last few words. She blushed a crimson red.

"I thought I saw you do that. I guess I can't complain, considering I'm the one who barged in on you and wouldn't leave. I...ummm...might have checked you out too," said Chloe. It was her turn to blush.

"I guess I'd be a hypocrite if I got mad at you, wouldn't I?" said Beca. She laughed, and then put her arms around Chloe's neck and pulled her in for another kiss.

"Would you like to be my girlfriend?" asked Chloe.

"I'd like that," said Beca.

"We should go on a date, but I don't know when. We're always at dance," said Chloe.

"Maybe we can sneak off by ourselves at the next competition," said Beca. "Or, we can order room service at the hotel."

"I'm not sure the others are going to like being left out," said Chloe.

"They'll get over it. Aren't we staying at the hotel for two nights next competition?" asked Beca.

"I think so. Maybe we can hang with the girls one night, and have a little date in our room the other night," said Chloe.

"I don't think we should tell the others about us yet. It's too new, and they might be a little weird about us dating. I'm only just now realizing I'm into girls," said Beca.

"I understand. I'm still mostly in the closet anyway. My parents and sister know, and so do Tracie and the girls. That's it, though."

"How did you tell your parents?" asked Beca.

"Well, for me it was easy. They're really accepting. Anyway, I told them after that horrible date with Tom. They asked how it went, and I told them it was awful because I was way more interested in the girls around us. Believe it or not, they were cool about it," said Chloe.

"I'm not sure I'm going to be so lucky. My parents are pretty conservative. They haven't really made any homophobic comments, but I don't know how they're going to deal when they find out," said Beca.

"You don't have to say anything right away. We can talk about it together and see if we can come up with a way to tell them," said Chloe.

"Thanks," said Beca. Just then, Beca's phone pinged with a text. It was from her mom. "My mom asked if I'd be home for dinner."

"That's up to you. My mom said you could stay if you wanted," said Chloe.

"What are you having?" asked Beca.

"Tacos," said Chloe.

"My favorite!" exclaimed Beca. She texted her mom that she'd be staying at Chloe's for dinner. Her mom reminded her to thank Chloe's parents.

The girls chatted and held hands for another hour before Chloe's mom called them for dinner. Beca remembered to thank Chloe's parents (of course) and complimented Chloe's mom on the tacos.

They headed back to Chloe's room after that. "I should probably text my mom to come and pick me up. This has been really nice, though," said Beca. She texted her mom to come and get her.

"Hey, let me kiss you now because I obviously can't kiss you goodbye in front of your mom," said Chloe. She pulled Beca in for a deep kiss. Chloe's mom called the girls down, telling them Beca's mom had come to pick her up.

"Thanks for having me," Beca said to Chloe and her parents. "I had a lot of fun today," said Beca to Chloe.

Beca was quiet on the car ride, but very happy. "So, what did you girls do all day?" Beca's mom asked her.

"Oh, not a lot. Just talked and I let her hear some of my music mixes," said Beca.

"That's really nice. You should have Chloe over sometime soon," said her mom.

"I'd love that," said Beca.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this alternate universe, Beca is quite a bit smaller than Chloe. I know the actresses themselves aren't all that different in size. It just worked for the story to make Beca quite a bit tinier than Chloe.

The rest of the week went by as usual. Beca enjoyed her dance classes even more than usual, now that she and Chloe were girlfriends. They were careful to keep the relationship secret so far, but they shared a few lingering glances from time to time. They always stood together in the dance lineups and paired up for partner work. They stayed up late every night after dance, texting each other until one of them stopped replying because she fell asleep.

Beca worked on her solo with Tracie. She was doing a jazz number to "Turn the Beat Around." She didn't really like the song, but she still worked hard to do her best. Tracie told Beca she'd be entering the solo in that weekend's competition. Beca had never entered a competition doing a dance she'd started that week. Tracie assured Beca she was ready. That Thursday, several of the girls brought previous costumes for Beca to try on for her solo since there wasn't time to get a new one. She ended up with one of Chloe's from a few years ago. Even though she was only a year younger than Chloe, she was quite a bit smaller. It was all black with a lot of fringe. It fit her without any alterations and looked great with black fishnets and black jazz shoes. Even the headpiece worked well for the dance. Tracie told Beca this was a sign that she was meant to enter the dance in the competition that weekend. Beca wasn't so sure, but she agreed. She didn't want to let Tracie down.

Like the previous Friday, Beca found herself at the dance studio after school. This time, though, she had her dance bag and a costume. She nervously checked her bags and suitcases to make sure she had everything. Chloe gave her a hug as soon as she arrived at the studio. Beca said goodbye to her mom and boarded the bus after making sure her bags were loaded. Beca sat with Chloe again. This time, she had a headphone splitter and an extra pair of headphones for Chloe. "These are my old ones, but they still work pretty well," Beca explained. The bus ride was shorter than the previous week's ride. Beca and Chloe listened to Beca's mixes for most of the ride. Chloe commented that her favorite was a mix of "Just the Way You Are" and "Just a Dream."

"You have to let Aubrey hear that one," said Chloe.

"Why?" asked Beca.

"She  _loves_  those two songs," said Chloe.

"I don't usually share my mixes," said Beca.

"You share them with me," said Chloe.

"That's different," said Beca. She added in a whisper, "I share more than just that with you."

Chloe giggled. "Okay, you have a point, but I really think you should let Aubrey hear this one. She'll love it. I promise."

"I'll think about it," said Beca.

The girls had the same hotel room arrangements as the previous week. The plan was basically the same, but Tracie loosened the restrictions a little. She still insisted on the girls going out to eat with her an hour after checking in, but she told the girls they could have some free time before lights out. The drive had been shorter and dinner would be earlier, so Tracie allowed them to leave their hotel rooms after dinner if they'd like. She reminded them that they were representing her studio, and to keep the noise level down. The girls readily agreed.

As soon as Beca and Chloe checked into the hotel room, Chloe sat on one of the beds and pulled Beca into her lap. She and Beca kissed deeply and passionately. "I've been waiting to do that since Sunday," she said.

"Me too," said Beca. She pulled away. "But we need to unpack, and we really shouldn't be late for dinner. Tracie won't like that, and I don't want to explain. She won't let us share a hotel room if she finds out we're together."

"Okay, but I hope we can do some more of that later," said Chloe.

"Just don't get any garlic at dinner!" Beca joked.

Dinner this time was a bit more casual, but Tracie still encouraged the girls to behave like ladies and to make healthy choices. Beca chose a turkey club sandwich this time and got a salad and some fresh fruit. Tracie and the girls talked about the upcoming competition. Tracie reminded the girls to behave themselves appropriately, and of some basic technical things to remember while performing. Beca was nervous and didn't say much. Tracie saw the look on Beca's face and said, "All I want you to do is remember to have fun!" Beca nodded and smiled nervously.

The girls all made a plan to hang out in Aubrey's room for the evening. Tracie reminded them to keep the noise level down, and she hoped that seven teenage girls hanging out in a hotel room in the evening wouldn't generate a noise complaint. After coming back from dinner, the girls all went to Aubrey's room. They settled on a game of truth or dare.

Aubrey went first. She chose truth.

"How many people have you kissed?" Stacie asked Aubrey.

"Two," she said.

"Who?" asked Stacie, winking at her.

"Hey, one question. You'll have to try that one the next time I pick truth," said Aubrey. The other girls rolled their eyes.

Next was Stacie. She chose dare.

"I dare you to...text a random phone number and ask them on a date," said Aubrey.

"Easy," said Stacie. She texted a random phone number with  _U up?_ She was surprised when they answered  _Yeah_. She asked them to meet her at a street intersection near the hotel to hook up. The other girls doubled over in laughter when the person replied  _K C U in 5_.

Jessica was next. She chose truth. "What's your least favorite dance you've ever done in a recital or competition?" Ashley asked. The other girls booed and rolled their eyes at her for asking a tame question.

"First grade. Tracie gave us this lame dance to 'Let's Go Fly a Kite' with these stupid little kites on sticks, and..."

"I remember that dance. It was so stupid," said Ashley.

Ashley chose truth. "What's the worst thing you've ever been caught doing?" Jessica asked her.

"My dad caught me smoking once," said Ashley.

"You smoke?" asked Beca, shocked.

"No. He caught me the one time I tried it. His cigarette too!" Ashley said. The girls all laughed.

Lilly was next. She chose truth. "Have you ever gotten detention at school?" Chloe asked. Lilly answered quietly with something that Beca was sure sounded like  _No, but I did a turn at county._  Everyone just shrugged.

"I hear nothing," said Aubrey.

Chloe was next. She chose dare. "I dare you to prank call someone in Lilly's phone contacts," said Beca.

Lilly handed Chloe her phone, and Chloe called Lilly's uncle from Chloe's phone. She put it on speaker but repeatedly had to hit the mute button and remind the girls to be quiet. She put on her best cartoon voice and said "Hi! Can I speak to Benjamin, please? His last name is Dover?"

She put him on speaker and heard him say "Who are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for Ben Dover. Isn't this his number?"

He huffed and hung up, and all the girls laughed, even harder than they had about Stacie's "date." Beca was next. She chose dare.

"I dare you to kiss Chloe," Aubrey said. Both Beca and Chloe abruptly looked at Aubrey. They were both blushing bright red.

"What?" said Beca, hoping the others wouldn't notice her blushing.

"You heard me. I dare you to kiss Chloe. We've noticed you two staring at each other in class. So just kiss already," she said. The other girls nodded and some giggled.

Beca took a deep breath and planted a chaste kiss on Chloe's lips.

"Looks like you two have done that before," said Stacie. Beca and Chloe both shot her a look that could kill. "Hey, I call it like I see it. Care to share something?" She pressed further.

Beca and Chloe looked at each other. Beca nodded, and Chloe finally said "Okay, you got us. Beca and I are dating. But you CANNOT tell Tracie. We just started, and we don't want her upset with us."

Stacie said, "Oh my god, I knew it! Have you two done it yet?"

"Not that it's your business, but no!" Beca exclaimed. She blushed a deeper red. "Okay, enough about us. Not a word to Tracie. Or my parents. Or Chloe's. You guys are the only ones who know, and we'd like to keep it that way."

The girls all promised to keep it to themselves. They decided they'd had their fun with that game. After all, what could top getting Beca and Chloe to kiss? They settled for flipping channels and agreed on watching some Friends reruns. Everyone left Aubrey's room by 9:30, hoping that seeing how "well-behaved" they were would motivate Tracie to let them do this again.

Beca and Chloe got ready for bed, this time they didn't even bother getting into separate beds. They laid in bed together before "lights out" and gently kissed at first, and then Beca parted her lips. Chloe took the hint and put her tongue in Beca's mouth. It was so nice. Beca wasn't entirely sure what to do, but she let her tongue dance a bit with Chloe's before breaking the kiss. "Wow," she said.

"Yeah," said Chloe. "Wow is right."

"We need to get to sleep," said Beca. She shut the lights off. Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca's waist and pulled her even closer than she had the last time they'd shared a bed. "This is nice," she whispered.

"Yeah," Beca whispered back. They both fell asleep within minutes.


	10. Chapter 10

The wake-up call came in at 6. The girls awoke, still intertwined. Chloe planted a light kiss on Beca's lips. "Good morning, sunshine," she said. Beca just groaned.

"You shower first Chloe," Beca said, her voice thick with sleep.

"Okay," said Chloe. She showered, and then Beca took her turn. Both girls got dressed in their competition uniforms. Beca dried her hair while Chloe checked their bags to make sure they had all their shoes, tights, and costume pieces together. Chloe took a turn with the hair dryer while Beca started doing her makeup.

"Hey, Chloe?"

"Yeah, Beca?"

"Can you help me with these fake eyelashes? My mom usually does them for me, and I can't quite get them right."

"Sure." Chloe helped Beca get the eyelashes on. Beca helped Chloe get her hair up. Then, both girls headed down to the breakfast room. Chloe picked at her food again.

"Chloe, you have to eat. We don't want you passing out," said Beca.

"I know. I'm trying," said Chloe. She managed a few bites of her food. The girls headed back up to their room to freshen up their lipstick and check hair and makeup. They did a final check of their dance bags and met Tracie and the others in the lobby.

The bus ride to the competition was very short. Had the girls not had lots of dance shoes, costumes, and makeup kits, they probably would have just walked from the hotel. They headed to their dressing room. Beca was relieved that Alyson's studio wasn't competing at this competition this weekend. It would be a good time to debut her solo.

Beca and Chloe got into their solo costumes and began their stretches. They took turns running their dances and getting last-minute criticisms from their teacher.

Chloe went first. She smiled really big and even put a little bit of sassy attitude into her tap number.  _You wouldn't believe she was a bundle of nerves just an hour ago,_ Beca thought as she watched her. Chloe met Beca backstage after her number and gave her a big hug. Beca congratulated her and took the stage for her jazz solo.

Beca looked great. She always had a lot of personality in her number, but her technique had gotten much better. Her toes were pointed better, and her legs were straighter. She had a turn in her dance, a jazz pirouette, and she made a clean double. Tracie had told her that she could make it a single if she got too nervous, but the performance adrenaline helped her make a quick, tight turn. Her smile got even bigger at that point, and it nearly burst off of her face when she hit her final pose.  _You'd never know she hates this song,_ Chloe thought to herself. She wrapped Beca in a huge hug when she went backstage. They held hands as they walked back to the dressing room, forgetting that Tracie wasn't aware of their relationship. Tracie glanced down at their hands and raised an eyebrow. "What are you guys doing?" she asked.

"Nothing!" Beca and Chloe said, in unison, and dropped their hands.

"Okay, then," said Tracie. "Great job, ladies. Chloe, I like how you used your expression better. Just try and make a little more eye contact with the judges next time. Beca, nice double pirouette! Try and get that more consistently. I'd like to put it in your and Chloe's duet once I figure out some music." The girls nodded.

It was time for Lilly to do her hip-hop solo and everyone else except Beca to get ready for the group ballet routine. There wouldn't be a lot of time for Lilly to change from her hip-hop costume to her ballet costume, so Beca helped her get everything ready and promised to help her with the costume and hair change.

Lilly's hip-hop solo was great again. Beca still couldn't believe that she was so hard-hitting and energetic when she was so quiet and shy in person. Beca and Lilly raced to the dressing room once Lilly got off stage. Beca pinned back Lilly's bangs and wrapped her hair up into a bun while Lilly quickly changed into her ballet costume. She made it backstage one number before they had to perform. Beca headed to the audience with Tracie after the girls assured her they were fine and would rather she watched from the audience.

The girls' ballet number looked great. Beca could see the girls had tried to apply their corrections from the previous competition. Tracie was pleased, and she and Beca cheered wildly when they were done. She met her friends backstage and had to avoid the urge to pull Chloe into a kiss. She settled for a tight hug and told her she was so proud.

The girls put their competition uniforms over their costumes and made it to the stage for the awards ceremony. Beca was so glad to be dancing this time, even if it was just for one number. Beca's solo won for jazz, Chloe's for tap, and Lilly's for hip-hop. Chloe's solo won for high score, followed by Beca and Lilly. The group number won first place in ballet, and Tracie was so proud of all of them. They headed back to the hotel, and Tracie made plans to take the girls out for ice cream to celebrate. She generally encouraged the girls to eat healthily, but a little celebration was nice too. She gave the girls an hour to get out of competition hair and makeup and change clothes before meeting in the lobby.

Beca and Chloe helped each other get out of competition makeup and take down their hair. Beca changed into black leggings, a black mini skirt, a black and white long-sleeved shirt, and black ankle boots. She tied her hair half up so it was out of her face. Chloe put on a red button-down shirt, black skinny jeans, and tan leather boots. She kept her hair down. Both put a little light makeup on. They kissed quickly before leaving the hotel room. This time, they remembered not to hold hands in front of Tracie.

The girls headed to the ice cream parlor across the street. They had a great time making their own sundaes. They excitedly talked about the next day's classes they'd take. Lilly couldn't wait to take advanced hip-hop. Jessica and Ashley were excited about the contemporary ballet class. Aubrey and Stacie were planning on taking musical theater. Beca and Chloe were excited to try an Irish dance class. All the girls would take the jazz class together at the end of the day so they could easily find each other. Tracie gave the girls choices for the evening's activity since they had done so well at the competition and behaved so nicely that weekend. She offered to let them go to a movie, out to dinner, order food in, etc. Aubrey and Stacie opted for a movie. Lilly wanted to order food in her room and play video games. Jessica and Ashley wanted to go to the pizza place next to the hotel. Beca and Chloe chose to go to a Mexican restaurant down the street. Tracie accompanied Aubrey and Stacie to the movies and told the other girls they were on their own with their activities. They were to text Tracie when they arrived and when they left and were reminded to conduct themselves like ladies. They were to be back at the hotel by 9, and lights were still to be out by 10.

Beca and Chloe couldn't believe they'd been lucky enough to go out for a real date. They'd figured on getting room service in their room, and having to sweet talk Tracie to get her to allow even that. They held hands across the table at the restaurant and were so preoccupied with each other that they forgot to look at the menu when the waiter came around. They quickly made decisions on their dinner and went back to their conversation after the waiter left.

The conversation went easily between the girls. They shared childhood memories, and also discussed the next day's dance convention. They made a plan to attend all classes together. They'd already agreed on the Irish dance class, something new for both of them. They agreed to take ballet, modern, and tap. They'd already planned to take the same jazz class as everyone else at the end.

The girls' food arrived, and the conversation quieted a bit. Both were really hungry from dancing a lot that day, even though they'd gotten ice cream earlier. By the time dinner was over and the check had arrived, it was close to time to go back to the room. Chloe paid the check, but she promised Beca she'd let her pay next time.

The girls walked back to the hotel, careful not to hold hands. They knew Tracie would be back from the movies soon, and they didn't want to explain that. They chatted about Beca's music mix. Beca wasn't sure what song to add to her mix. Chloe suggested "Party in the USA." Beca said she'd think about that. She wasn't sure where it would fit.

They saw Tracie in the lobby with Aubrey and Stacie. They chatted about the movie and about their time at the restaurant. Since Tracie saw Beca and Chloe in person, they obviously didn't have to text her. It was around 9 at this point, so the girls decided they'd just head up to the room. They said goodnight to Tracie, Aubrey, and Stacie, and headed to their room.

The girls sat on the bed, and Beca stopped to talk to Chloe before another make-out session happened. "I still think we should take this slow," said Beca. "It's the first relationship for both of us. We are only 15 and 16. I like kissing you, a lot actually, but we shouldn't go past that yet."

"Okay, that's fair. It's tough, though, because I like you a whole lot," said Chloe.

"I like you too, but I think we should spend time getting to know each other before going any further. I haven't even worked up the guts to tell my parents about us yet," said Beca.

"Have you thought more about that?" asked Chloe.

"I've thought about it, but I haven't come up with anything. I'm just worried they're going to get mad, and they won't let me see you. What if they make me change dance studios?" asked Beca.

"That seems extreme. Do you really think they'd be that upset?" asked Chloe.

"I don't know," said Beca. "I don't think anyone else in the family is gay, so I don't really know."

"Would it help for them to talk to my parents?" asked Chloe.

"Maybe, but I don't know how I'd start that conversation. 'Hey, guys, this is my friend Chloe. She's gay, and her parents are cool about it. Why don't you guys discuss?' "

Chloe laughed. "Okay, I see your point. Do you think it would be easier to just tell them you're gay? Before you tell them about us?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I doubt they'd be okay with us sharing a hotel room if they knew we were together," said Beca.

"I don't get the hang-up. Even if we had sex, it's not like I could get you pregnant," said Chloe.

"True, but something tells me they still don't want to think about their little girl having sex," said Beca.

"Like every other parent on the planet," said Chloe, giggling.

"We still have time to think about this," said Beca.

"True, and it's not too long until lights out," said Chloe. She pulled Beca in for a kiss, running her hands through Beca's hair. "You're beautiful, you know that, right?"

"I think you're the beautiful one," said Beca. She put her arms around Chloe and began to pepper her neck with kisses. Chloe moaned a little. She went back up to Chloe's mouth, their tongues dancing.

They came up for air, and then realized they'd better get ready for bed. If Tracie came by and their light was on, she would come into their room. They didn't want to get caught sharing a bed, and they really didn't want to get caught making out. The girls got pajamas on quickly and settled into bed, snuggling like they'd done the night before, occasionally planting light kisses on each other's lips, faces, and necks. Both girls fell asleep quickly again.

* * *

The next morning, the girls were up at 7. They needed to be at the convention by 9. They took turns taking quick showers. They put on their leotards and tights, and their competition uniforms over top. They each put their hair up in a bun and applied some light makeup. Beca pulled down the covers on the bed they didn't use so Tracie wouldn't know they'd been sharing a bed. She always went through the girls' rooms just before checkout in case they left anything by mistake. They managed to get to the breakfast room at 8. They chatted with the others about their evenings. Jessica and Ashley raved about their pizza dinner, and Tracie, Aubrey, and Stacie really enjoyed their movie. Lilly said something about traveling through time, and the girls hoped she'd meant in a video game. Beca and Chloe had enjoyed their dinner at the Mexican restaurant. They waited until Tracie left the table to dish about what a great first date it had been. They were all giggling about this but abruptly stopped when Tracie came back to the table. Tracie said, "What was that about?"

"Nothing," all girls responded in unison. Tracie just shook her head.  _Teenagers,_ she thought.

The girls went back to their rooms to finish packing. They met in the lobby with their suitcases and dance bags. They loaded them on the bus while Tracie did final checks on the rooms. Jessica or Ashley left a hairbrush in their room (neither girl was sure whose it was), but otherwise, nothing else had been left. They rode the bus to the convention and split up to go to their classes.

Beca and Chloe headed to ballet first. Chloe did well, but Beca struggled. It was harder than what Tracie usually gave them, and Beca had barely adjusted to that. Chloe helped her along, and Beca picked up some new techniques by the time the class was over.

Next was modern. Jessica and Ashley joined them for that. Beca really caught the teacher's attention with her connection to the music. Chloe did well but focused more on getting the steps correct.

They took their lunch break and sat with their teammates. Stacie and Aubrey had really enjoyed their musical theater class. Lilly seemed to have enjoyed hip-hop, but nobody could understand what she said when they asked. Jessica and Ashley were excited to try the contemporary ballet class, and Stacie and Aubrey agreed to join them. Beca and Chloe couldn't wait for Irish dance. Neither girl had ever tried it before.

Irish dance was immediately after lunch. The teacher taught them some basic steps, and Beca and Chloe both did well. They found it somewhat similar to other styles they'd done before. The only thing that was somewhat tricky for them was keeping their hands down at their sides.

They went to tap after that, and Stacie and Aubrey were there as well. The teacher was really fun and had the whole group laughing. The steps were tricky, but they were having too much fun to get too frustrated.

The whole group met up for jazz, and they were excited to learn a routine to "I Don't Like It, I Love It." They were exhausted by the time it was over.

The bus ride back was really quiet. Just about all of the girls fell asleep. Beca had her head on Chloe's shoulder, and Chloe had her head over Beca's. Tracie snapped a picture of the pair because it was so cute and put it on the studio's Instagram.

The girls arrived back at the studio in the early evening. All the girls looked sleepy as they met their parents to pick them up. Chloe gave Beca a quick hug before they left. Beca's mom looked at Beca funny but didn't ask any questions.

Beca ate her dinner and immediately headed up to her room when she was still done. The nap on the bus ride hadn't helped that much, and she was exhausted. She texted Chloe a quick goodnight message and turned in for the night.


	11. Chapter 11

It was Monday again, and Tracie had given the girls the night off of dance classes. Beca invited Chloe to come over for the evening after dinner. Chloe readily accepted.

Beca showed Chloe to her room, and Chloe was amazed to see the music equipment in Beca's room. "Wow! That's a lot of equipment for 'just playing around with a program,' Beca," said Chloe.

"Okay, so maybe it's more than just playing around," said Beca, smirking. "It started with that, but then I really got into it and saved up to buy the equipment."

"That's amazing. What does it all do?" asked Chloe.

Beca showed Chloe the basics of how the different levers and dials worked. She grabbed a microphone and encouraged Chloe to sing into it.

"Are you recording?" asked Chloe.

"Not yet," Beca said. "Just sing into it with the headphones on so you can hear yourself." Chloe did as Beca said.

"Cool," said Chloe. "Can we try recording me?"

"Okay, I'll set it up and give you a tempo," said Beca. She counted Chloe in, and she began.

 _I hopped off the plane at LAX_  
_With a dream and my cardigan_  
_Welcome to the land of fame excess,  
_ _Am I going to fit in?_

 _Jumped in the cab,_  
_Here I am for the first time_  
_Look to my right and I see the Hollywood sign_  
_This is all so crazy_  
_Everybody seems so famous_

 _My tummy's turnin' and I'm feelin' kinda homesick_  
_Too much pressure and I'm nervous,_  
_That's when the taxi man turned on the radio_  
_And the Jay Z song was on_  
_And the Jay Z song was on_  
_And the Jay Z song was on_

 _So I put my hands up_  
_They're playing my song,_  
_And the butterflies fly away_  
_Noddin' my head like, yeah_  
_Movin' my hips like, yeah_  
_I got my hands up,_  
_They're playin' my song_  
_You know I'm gonna be okay_  
_Yeah, it's a party in the USA_  
_Yeah it's a party in the USA_

Beca added the track to the mix and fiddled with a few settings. "Okay, this is a bit of a rough cut, but what do you think?" She played the track for Chloe.

"It's great!" exclaimed Chloe. "Hey, Beca, I have an idea."

"Okay, what?"

"Why don't we let Tracie listen to this mix?"

"Why?"

"Because maybe she can use it for our duet. She still hasn't found music for us. It would be really fun to dance to something that we're both singing."

"I suppose it's worth asking. She said she hadn't found anything that seemed right yet, so it's worth a try." Beca was excited and nervous about dancing with Chloe to one of her tracks. She still was a little uneasy about sharing her mixes with anyone. Still, she found it hard to say no to Chloe, especially when she was obviously so excited.

"Great! She's going to love it!" said Chloe, excitedly. She leaned over and planted a kiss on Beca's lips. Just then, Beca's mother walked by the room.  Beca hadn't realized she'd left the door open.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Ummm..." said Beca. "Nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing. Were you two just kissing?"

"Yeah," Beca said, quietly. She took a deep breath and said, "Chloe's my girlfriend, Mom."

"Huh?" said her mom, dumbfounded. "Since when?"

"Uh...since last week. I wasn't sure what you would think," said Beca. Her mom didn't respond.

Chloe said, "Well, it looks like you have a lot to talk about. I should probably go. For what it's worth, Mrs, Mitchell, I really like Beca." She texted her parents to come and pick her up.

After Chloe left, Beca sat down with her parents. "So..." she began, not sure where to go from there.

"When were you going to tell us about Chloe?" asked her mom.

"I don't know," said Beca.

"Is this your first girlfriend?" asked her mom.

"Yes," said Beca.

"So, are you gay?" asked her mom.

"Yeah, I think so. Chloe's the first person, male or female, that I've been interested in dating."

"I don't know how I feel about this," said her dad. "I never thought I'd have to deal with my daughter dating a girl."

"What's the difference, Dad? I'm 15, you know, and it's not exactly weird that I'm dating. Would you be happier if it were a boy?" asked Beca.

"Well, maybe," said her dad. "I just had no idea you were interested in girls. It's kind of weird."

"Dad, it's the 21st century. It's not that weird."

"She has a point," said her mom.

"I guess it's okay, but it's going to take some getting used to. And there will be rules for when she's with you," said her dad.

"Like what?" asked Beca.

"Well, for instance, your bedroom door stays open when the two of you are in there," he said.

"Dad!" she exclaimed.

"It would be the same if Chloe were a boy. You're too young and the temptation is too great," said her dad.

"Ugh, fine," said Beca.

"And no more sharing hotel rooms," said her mom.

"But I love sharing rooms with Chloe!" said Beca.

"Oh?" asked her mom.

"Not like that, Mom. Geez. I swear we haven't had sex. We've only kissed. We enjoy each other's company, and she's really helpful with my competition makeup. You know I can't do those stupid fake eyelashes myself," said Beca. She decided not to mention that they'd shared a bed every time. She figured her mom would never believe they'd shared a bed and not had sex, even though it was true.

"I don't like the idea of you two being alone in a hotel room," said her mom.

"Ugh," said Beca, rolling her eyes. This was one of the reasons why she hadn't wanted her parents to know yet. "I swear we have been behaving ourselves."

"For now," said her mom. Her dad nodded in agreement.

"Is there any way I can convince you otherwise?" asked Beca.

"I don't think so," said her mom. Beca looked dejected but realized they weren't going to budge. "Does Tracie know about you two?"

"I doubt it. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't let us share a hotel room if she did," said Beca. "I'm not ready for her to know. It's going to get weird."

"We'll think about that one. She should probably know, but maybe we can wait on that. If I find out you two are still sharing a hotel room, I'm telling Tracie. I don't want her allowing it," said her mom. "Okay, enough for tonight. Your dad and I have some thinking and talking to do. It's late, and you need to head to bed."

Beca nodded and headed up to her room. She texted Chloe.

_Beca: Well, that was awkward._

_Chloe: That bad?_

_Beca: I guess not. But they're not thrilled._

_Chloe: What did they say?_

_Beca: Well, they asked if I was gay. I told them I thought I was. I really haven't had any interest in anyone besides you._

_Chloe: How'd they take it?_

_Beca: They said it was a little weird, but they seemed to not be that upset about it. I reminded them that they wouldn't like me dating a guy either._

_Chloe: That's not so bad._

_Beca: They said we have to keep the bedroom door when we come over, and we're not to share hotel rooms anymore._

_Chloe: That sucks. I really liked cuddling with you. Are they going to tell Tracie?_

_Beca: Only if we don't listen._

_Chloe: Hey, at least they didn't say you weren't allowed to date me, and they didn't make you change dance studios. It's going to be okay, Beca. Really._

_Beca: I guess._

_Chloe: Relax. Seriously._

_Beca: Have you told your parents?_

_Chloe: I told them tonight. They wondered why I asked them to pick me up early._

_Beca: How'd they take it?_

_Chloe: They weren't surprised. I guess it helps that they already knew I was gay. They're pretty cool about us dating._

_Beca: Lucky you._

_Chloe: Beca, babe, your parents will come around. Now that they know we're together, maybe you can suggest they talk to my parents._

_Beca: Maybe so. I should get to bed. Long day tomorrow since dance starts back up._

_Chloe: Okay, good night._

_Beca: Good night._

So, that obviously wasn't the way Beca wanted to come out to her parents. She hadn't exactly had a way in mind, but her mom catching her kissing Chloe wasn't exactly how she'd envisioned them finding out. Still, it was better to have it out in the open now. They seemed more annoyed that Beca was in a relationship without their knowledge than anything else.


	12. Chapter 12

Tuesday morning was a typical morning for Beca. Neither of her parents brought up anything about the night before, much to her relief.

Dance was mostly the same, although Beca thought she noticed her teammates giggling a bit more in her and Chloe's direction, especially when the two paired up during partner stretches. Beca practiced her solo but missed her double turn that time. Tracie had her run it a few more times, and Beca finally hit her double turn on the fourth time running her solo. Tracie saw her frustration and reminded her to keep trying. She'd get it consistently if she kept practicing.

Beca and Chloe went to Tracie after classes were over. "Have you found music for our duet?" Chloe asked.

"No. Nothing seems quite right," said Tracie.

"What about this?" asked Beca, handing Tracie a flash drive with her mix. Tracie listened, and a smile formed on her lips.

"I like it," she said. "Who's singing?"

"Us, at least for most of it," said Chloe. "I'm singing 'Party in the USA' and Beca is singing 'Don't You Forget About Me'."

"I think that might work, and the two of you singing together is going to be a real crowd pleaser. Who put the mix together?" Tracie asked.

"That was me. It's sort of a hobby," said Beca.

"That's great. Let me listen to it a few times and see if I can come up with something," said Tracie. "Hopefully we can start something tomorrow."

Beca and Chloe were so excited. Tracie liked Beca's mix, and they were finally going to get their duet! They hugged, careful not to kiss in front of Tracie. They headed home with their respective parents. They texted a bit before bed, careful not to get caught staying up too late. Beca's parents hadn't commented anymore about her relationship, but she knew the conversation was far from over.

The next morning, Beca's mom asked her a bit more about Chloe over breakfast.

"How long have you been interested in Chloe?" asked her mom.

"We've been friends for a year," said Beca.

"Not that. When did it become more?" asked her mom.

"I told you it was last week. I've been interested in Chloe for a while, but we ended up kissing at her house when I was over there. I really couldn't tell you when I was interested in being more than Chloe's friend. I can't really pinpoint exactly when that happened."

"Just kissing?" she asked.

"Yes, mom. I swear. And we didn't spend the entire visit kissing. We kissed a few times, but mostly spent it talking and listening to music," said Beca.

"And you two have managed to behave in the hotel room?" asked her mom.

"Mom!" exclaimed Beca.

"Well?" asked her mom.

"I can't believe you're asking about this again. So embarrassing. I told you we haven't done anything other than kissing and hugging in the room, and I meant it," said Beca, again not mentioning sharing a bed.

"Okay, if you say so. But you two still aren't sharing a room," said her mom. Beca just rolled her eyes. "Do her parents know about you two?"

"Chloe said she told them," said Beca.

"What do they think?" asked her mom.

"Chloe said they're fine with it. Maybe you should talk to them," said Beca.

"Maybe," said her mom.

"Can we just drop it for now?" asked Beca. "I have to go to school."

Her mom dropped the subject, and the ride to school was quiet. Beca still couldn't believe her mom was giving her a hard time. She and Chloe had known each other for years. Her mom was just probably annoyed that Beca was dating a girl.

When Beca and Chloe got to dance class, Tracie immediately pulled them from the group classes to work on their duet. She came up with the idea of having the girls do different choreography to the piece, generally in line with what they were singing. They would complement each other, and only have some moves in unison, generally the ones that fit with "Price Tag". They got about half the dance done in the first hour, and they were pleased with how they looked. Tracie was pleased with how well the two of them danced together, and she was delighted that they'd become friends so quickly. Beca and Chloe giggled to themselves.  _If only she knew_ , they thought.

They went back to the group to learn a new group number. This one was a jazz number with some hip-hop influence to "Run the World" by Beyoncé. Beca was excited to be in the group number and was relieved it wasn't ballet. She was even more excited to be paired with Chloe for partner work in the number.

When the girls were on a break in the dressing room, Beca and Chloe told the others their parents had found out about their relationship. They had to figure out new hotel room arrangements so Beca's parents wouldn't be mad. After a few ideas were thrown around, they agreed that Aubrey would room with Chloe, and Stacie would room with Beca. They could always switch rooms when Tracie wasn't looking if they wanted to have alone time.

At the end of class, Tracie asked the girls to bring in old costumes the next day, preferably from group numbers. She was hoping to find matching or complementary costumes for Beca and Chloe to wear for their duet.

Beca's mom came to pick her up, and Beca was even happier than she usually was after dance. Beca's mom asked, "Why are you so happy tonight?"

"We started the duet and a new group number. I really like both!" Beca exclaimed.

"That's great, honey. How are things with Chloe?"

"Good," said Beca.

"That's good. Have you talked to her about the hotel?" asked her mom.

"Yes. She's going to room with Aubrey, and I'll room with Stacie next time," said Beca.

"That's good. Are the others okay with it?" asked her mom.

"Yeah. They know what's going on, and they understand," said Beca.  _A little better than you and Dad,_ Beca thought.

"Okay. Well, we're home, so you'd better head to bed. Don't stay up too late texting Chloe," said her mom.

"Mom!" exclaimed Beca. She texted Chloe but kept it short.

The next day at dance, Beca looked at all the different costumes the others brought in. She had to rule out anything Stacie brought in because Stacie was so much taller than either girl. They went over a few options, but they selected two old group costumes. One had been Chloe's from the previous year - a blue bodice and black booty shorts. Beca got one that had been Aubrey's from two years prior. It had the same color scheme, except it had a black bodice and a blue short skirt. Both looked great with tan tights and black slip-on jazz shoes. Beca and Chloe were pulled immediately to finish their choreography for their duet. Beca still wasn't consistently hitting her double pirouette, so Tracie made it a single, just to be safe.

They got great costumes for the group routine. It was a crop top with black leggings. The crop tops were pink, yellow, or green, and the leggings had accents that matched the crop tops. Jessica, Ashley, and Lilly got green, Beca and Stacie got yellow, and Aubrey and Chloe got pink. Everyone looked great, and they were so excited.

They finished the choreography for their group number and duets. There wasn't a competition that weekend, so they were shaping up well for having the numbers ready for the competition the following weekend.


	13. Chapter 13

That weekend, there was no competition. The girls had dance class for three hours Saturday morning, and then they were free for the rest of the weekend. Beca's parents had warmed up a bit to the idea of Beca having a girlfriend, and they invited Chloe and her parents over for dinner Saturday night. Beca was nervous about having everyone over, but she was cautiously optimistic that maybe Chloe's parents could help her parents. She and Chloe weren't hurting anyone by dating each other, and they weren't doing anything wrong. They were young, only 15 and 16, but they weren't exactly planning to run to Vegas and get married that weekend either.

Beca's mom made pot roast in the crockpot, and it smelled so good in the house that day. Beca made sure she wore jeans without rips in them, and that her hair looked nice when Chloe and her parents came over.

Beca nervously greeted everyone at the door.

"Mom and Dad, this is Mr. and Mrs. Beale," said Beca.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell," she said. "I'm Lynn, and this is Will."

"Thanks," said Beca's mom. "Call me Ellen."

"And call me John," said Beca's dad.

She showed everyone around the house while her mom and dad set the table for dinner. They even brought out the fine china. Beca didn't know what to think. Parents were so weird sometimes.

Beca's parents brought out a bottle of wine and split it with Chloe's parents. Beca got sodas for herself and Chloe. Dinner was a little awkward at first, but Chloe's mom broke the ice fairly quickly.

"Ellen, John, you have a lovely home," said Lynn. "You also have a lovely daughter. Beca is so well-mannered."

"Thanks," said Ellen.

"She was wonderful the time she came over to our house."

"Glad to hear it."

"This pot roast is excellent," said Will. "Good wine, too."

"Thanks," said Ellen. Beca and Chloe stayed quiet, not sure what they should do. Beca grabbed Chloe's hand under the table, an easy thing to do since she was a lefty and Chloe was a righty. Everyone ate quietly for a few more minutes, and then Ellen addressed the elephant in the room. "So, uh, what do you think about the girls dating?"

"Oh, we don't mind at all. Beca's a great girl," said Lynn.

"You're not concerned?" asked Ellen.

"Why would we be? They're fifteen and sixteen, and they're good girls," said Lynn. "We trust them."

"And you're okay that they're both girls?" asked Ellen.

"Of course. Chloe came out to us a while ago," said Lynn.

"Oh. We had no idea until we saw them kissing," said Ellen.

"Sorry you had to find out that way. But, think about it. Did your parents ever catch you kissing someone they didn't know you were dating back when you were their age?" asked Lynn.

"Well..." said Ellen.

"I don't see it as all that different," said Lynn.

"We were just so surprised. Beca's never mentioned any interest in dating anyone, and then we found her kissing Chloe," said John.

"It's really no big deal to us," said Will.

"Lynn and Will, we have rules for when Chloe visits our home. Beca has to keep her bedroom door open if Chloe is with her in there. We'd forbid them being in there together at all, but Beca has all her music stuff there. We know the girls like to play around with music. Do you have similar rules?" asked Ellen.

"We can ask the same of the girls at our house if that would make everyone more comfortable," said Lynn. "They won't be in Chloe's room with the door shut when Beca visits."

"Thanks," said Ellen. Beca and Chloe just looked at each other. They didn't know what to say, and it was so uncomfortable and embarrassing. Chloe squeezed Beca's hand to help reassure her that it was all going to be fine.

"So, Beca," said Lynn. "Chloe told me Tracie is choreographing your duet to one of your music mixes. What is that?"

"Oh, my parents got me a music mixing program for my computer. I bought some recording equipment. I mix two or three different music tracks together into one bigger song. The one we're doing for the duet is three songs. Chloe sings one, and I sing a different one. It's about the same amount of singing for both of us. Tracie choreographed the piece so our movements reflect which one of us is singing," said Beca.

"That sounds wonderful!" said Lynn.

"We like it so far," said Beca. "Oh, and thanks for loaning me Chloe's old costume for my solo. I can't believe how well it fits me."

"Oh, it's our pleasure," said Lynn. "What's your solo song?"

"It's 'Turn the Beat Around.' That song's tired, but the dance is pretty cool."

"That song is before our generation, too. I'm sure you're great at it. I hope I get to see it soon."

After dinner was over, the parents all sat in the living room to talk a while. Beca and Chloe headed to Beca's room (with the door open, of course).

"That was weird," said Beca.

"Yeah, but it went okay," said Chloe.

"I hope your parents have calmed mine down a little. They're still a bit less than thrilled that we're dating."

"Because I'm a girl?"

"Seems like it."

"They'll get used to it."

"I hope."

Chloe pulled Beca into a kiss. Beca was a bit cautious, but then she could hear all four parents laughing in the living room. She figured it was safe to deepen the kiss, at least a little. She put her arms around Chloe's neck, and Chloe put her arms around Beca's waist. They held each other tightly and then broke the kiss. Neither one wanted to get caught kissing again. Nobody had said they couldn't kiss, but they weren't happy about the possibility of any parents freaking out again.

Beca played another of her music mixes for Chloe, and then the two just talked for a while. Soon after that, Beca's parents called the girls down. It was time for Chloe and her parents to go home.

Beca gave Chloe a chaste kiss on the lips and said goodbye. Her parents seemed a little uneasy, but neither said anything about it. After Chloe left, Beca headed to her room, relieved that the night wasn't a disaster.

* * *

Sunday was Chloe's seventeenth birthday. She invited the whole competition team to her place for a small party.

The girls had some pizza, and then they all hung out in Chloe's room. They decided to play Truth or Dare. This time Beca went first. She chose truth.

"How far have you gotten with Chloe?" asked Stacie.

"What?" asked Beca, blushing.

"You heard me. You have to answer the question, Beca," said Stacie.

"Okay, fine. We've kissed, and we've shared a bed without having sex. We cuddled," said Beca. "That's it." Chloe blushed but smiled at Beca so she knew she wasn't mad. Chloe went next. She chose dare.

"I dare you to..." said Beca. "Give someone a piggy back ride around the room."

"Easy," said Chloe. "Hop on!" Beca hopped on Chloe's back, and both girls giggled with their friends as Chloe easily ran around the room with Beca on her back. Beca was so much smaller than Chloe, it was easy.

Jessica was next. She chose dare. Chloe dared her to trade shirts with Ashley for the rest of the game. The two giggled, but swapped shirts. Jessica's shirt was a little tight on Ashley, and Ashley's shirt was too big on Jessica. Neither seemed to mind. They didn't even really care about changing in front of the other girls because they were all used to it from competitions. There wasn't time for modesty when you have less than five minutes between numbers.

Ashley was next. She chose dare. Jessica dared her to say the alphabet backwards with a British accent. Ashley giggled, but slowly managed to get all the letters right. She was surprisingly good at the accent.

Lilly was next. She chose truth. Ashley said, "What pajamas do you wear to bed?"

Lilly answered very quietly. It sounded like  _I sleep upside down like a bat._  Everyone shrugged.

Aubrey was next. She chose truth. Lilly asked a question, but nobody could understand her. It sounded like she'd said something about military dark ops. Usually asking Lilly to repeat herself either resulted in nobody hearing her, or she'd say something so disturbing they wished they hadn't asked. Stacie took over the questioning and asked Aubrey, "Who are the two people you kissed?"

Aubrey blushed. "Well, it was a guy at one of Stacie's modeling gig after-parties. I was drunk, and I don't even remember his name. I just remember making out with him."

"Two people, Aubrey," said Stacie. "Fess up."

"Stacie, it's not like you don't know," said Aubrey, narrowing her eyes.

The girls immediately figured out what that meant. They knew Aubrey and Stacie were close, but not  _that_  close. Stacie smiled at Aubrey while Aubrey covered her face in her hands.

"So, are you two...together?" asked Chloe.

"Yeah," said Stacie. "Don't tell Tracie about us, and we won't tell her about you and Beca."

"We'll keep quiet if you do," said Chloe. "Stacie, you're next."

"Dare," said Stacie.

"I dare you to go to the refrigerator, close your eyes, and point to a food. Keep your eyes closed while I feed it to you," said Aubrey.

They went down to the refrigerator. Stacie shut her eyes and pointed to a tub of cream cheese. Aubrey got a spoon out, and fed Stacie a spoonful of cream cheese. She was relieved that it wasn't something worse.

The girls headed back to Chloe's room. They ended the truth or dare game, and spent a lot of the time just chatting for a while.

Aubrey had brought along her karaoke machine and the girls took turns. She and Stacie sang "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." It was really cute, and both girls sang well.

Jessica and Ashley sang "Baby, It's Cold Outside" even though Christmas was long over.

Lilly didn't choose a song, but she beat-boxed into the microphone for a good several minutes.

Beca and Chloe sang "Titanium." They exchanged sly grins after they were done. Aubrey raised her eyebrow at Chloe, but neither girl said anything.

Chloe's parents called the girls down for cake. After everyone sang to Chloe and she opened gifts from her friends, her parents told her there was another gift waiting for her in the garage. Her parents had bought her a car! It was a brand new red Mazda 3. Chloe had gotten her license the previous month, but she'd always borrowed one of her parents' cars. She was so excited to have her own car! She thanked her parents with big hugs, and they told her Tracie had chipped in for the purchase, and she promised to thank her at dance the next day.

It was time for everyone to leave after that. Beca gave Chloe a hug and a kiss as her mom arrived to pick her up. Beca's mom wished Chloe a happy birthday, and then they left. Beca and Chloe texted for a while before bed.


	14. Chapter 14

Monday was back to the usual for everyone. Dance classes were held, and they were preparing for a competition that weekend. However, the pressure was a little higher as their placements would determine which numbers qualified for nationals. The group would be adding in the new number, in addition to competing their ballet number. Beca and Chloe's duet would also be added in. Alyson's studio would be competing, so there was even more pressure for everyone, especially Beca. Tracie worked the girls extra hard, and Beca was ready to collapse when she got home. She didn't even stay up texting Chloe as usual. She sent her a quick goodnight text, and then fell asleep almost immediately. This went on for the rest of the week. Beca was glad she and Chloe were at the same dance school and on the same competition team, or they'd probably not even talk that week. They occasionally brushed hands and exchanged lingering glances, but didn't risk anything going any further in front of Tracie. So far, the other girls had kept both relationships a secret.

Friday, everyone met at the studio after school to ride the bus to the competition. This was a longer bus ride than usual, so the girls ended up getting dinner on the way instead of after hotel check-in. Tracie decided it was worth risking the longer stop at a sit-down restaurant because she didn't want the girls eating burgers and fries the night before a competition.

They arrived at the hotel around 9:00 and checked in. Tracie was a little surprised that Beca and Chloe had switched pairings for the hotel rooms, but she didn't comment any further. She still wanted the girls to have lights out by 10, and she wasn't about to waste time discussing the room arrangements.

Once Beca and Stacie had unpacked their things, they called Chloe and Aubrey's room. Beca and Stacie decided they'd try and swap rooms briefly before "lights out" to have some alone time with their girlfriends. Beca and Chloe poked their heads out of their rooms to make sure the coast was clear. Beca and Aubrey quickly ran down the hall and swapped rooms. They were lucky to have rooms next to each other. Chloe shut the door and immediately pulled Beca in for a deep, passionate kiss. The girls had barely talked, much less hug or kiss in the past week, so both were nearly breathless. Beca ran her hands through Chloe's hair, and Chloe ran her hands down Beca's back. The girls kissed deeply for a while, rubbing each other's backs and stroking each other's hair. Beca wanted to take things a little further but stopped herself. They had really limited time, and she didn't want to get herself or Chloe too worked up. She broke the kisses and said, "Chloe, we really need to stop. We don't have much time and we shouldn't let things go too far."

Chloe took a deep breath to collect herself. "Okay," she said. "I'm okay. We should call Stacie and Aubrey, and see if they're ready to switch back. We have ten minutes until 'lights out.'"

They called the room, and Stacie and Aubrey took forever to answer. Chloe told Aubrey they were ready to switch. Aubrey asked for two minutes.

Beca and Aubrey managed to switch without being detected, but just barely. Beca and Stacie changed quickly into pajamas and managed to hit the lights at 10 on the dot. Once 10:30 hit, Beca finally risked speaking.

"Stacie?"

"Yeah?" she said sleepily.

"How long have you and Aubrey been together?" she asked.

"A few months now," she said.

"Does anyone else know besides the other dancers?" asked Beca.

"My parents know, but that's it. I'm out at school, but Aubrey isn't. Her parents don't even know," said Stacie.

"I get that. I was scared to come out to my parents. I'm not even sure when I would have told them. I kind of had to after they caught me kissing Chloe," said Beca.

"I know they don't want you sharing a hotel room with Chloe anymore. Did they freak out big time?" asked Stacie.

"Not big time, but I don't think they're okay with everything yet. They still let me see Chloe, but I can see them cringe or gasp every time they see us kiss. And we keep the kisses pretty tame in front of them," said Beca.

"They'll get there. My parents did. They don't exactly understand, but they are fine with Aubrey and me dating," said Stacie. "I think they wish I was seeing a guy, but they seem to accept that I'm with Aubrey. I guess when I told them I was bi, they still hoped I'd date guys."

"Mine would like that better too, but I don't think I'm attracted to guys at all," said Beca.

"Give your parents time to get used to the idea," said Stacie. "We really need to get some sleep. Tracie will kill us if we're late to breakfast tomorrow."

"Okay, good night," said Beca.

"Good night."

It took Beca a while to fall asleep. She'd grown accustomed to sharing a room and a bed with Chloe for competitions. Stacie was great, but she didn't want to share her bed.

Stacie and Beca groaned when the wake-up call rang at 6 am. Beca grabbed the first shower and dried her hair while Stacie showered. She got her hair up and started her makeup. Luckily for Beca, Stacie was more than happy to help with the fake eyelashes. Beca swore she'd never figure those out.

They met everyone in the hotel breakfast room, barely on time. Aubrey was trying to coax a nervous Chloe to eat. Beca sat with Chloe and took over, still only managing to get Chloe to eat a couple bites and drink a little something. Beca still didn't understand how Chloe pulled off competition level dancing with so little in her stomach.

They went back to their rooms and grabbed their costumes. Only solos and duets were competing that day. Beca and Chloe had their duet and their individual solos. Lilly still had her hip-hop solo. Stacie and Aubrey each had solos they'd done earlier in the season. Stacie had a musical theater piece, and Aubrey had a pointe number. Jessica and Ashley had a tap duet from earlier in the season.

Solos were up first. Lilly rocked her hip-hop number as usual. Chloe's tap number was great, and she had obviously really worked on calming her nerves and showing her personality. She waited backstage for Beca to do her solo, as always.

Beca nailed her double pirouette in her jazz solo. She was just getting off the stage when she heard her old solo music playing. She couldn't believe it when she saw Denise from her old studio doing her old dance and choreography! The costume was different (Beca was the smallest on the team at Alyson's studio and was now the smallest on the team at Tracie's), but it was her old dance. Denise did well, but Beca was upset. Alyson had choreographed it just for Beca, or so she thought, and now Denise was doing the number. Beca stood backstage with her mouth agape. Chloe picked up on the situation as soon as Beca did, and just gently rubbed Beca's back to try to calm her down a little. She knew how Beca felt about her old studio, and she felt awful that Beca had to see Alyson give away her solo. Beca squeezed Chloe's hand but didn't say anything. Denise finished the number and walked right past Beca with a smirk on her face. Chloe quickly walked Beca back to the dressing room before anything got worse. "Beca, babe, it's okay," Chloe said.

"No, it's not. I thought she choreographed that because I was special. I guess not," Beca spat.

"You are. Alyson's just mad that you left and she's trying to get to you. Don't let her," said Chloe, gently.

"It's not that easy," said Beca.

"Try. Please. You know our duet is going to knock everyone's socks off. You can't let Alyson or Denise psych you out," said Chloe.

"I'll try, but I won't make any promises," said Beca.

"That's all I ask. Now let's go backstage and watch Stacie and Aubrey," said Chloe.

Stacie grabbed the judges' attention in her musical theater piece to "Hey Big Spender" from Sweet Charity. Aubrey did a beautiful pointe number to a piece from "Sleeping Beauty."

Duets were next. Jessica and Ashley had the audience clapping along to their tap duet to "Happy" by Pharell Williams.

Beca and Chloe's duet was a big crowd pleaser. They found a lot of people singing along. They shared a long embrace after getting off the stage. Tracie found them and again looked at them with a raised eyebrow. Neither girl said anything, but they had a feeling it wouldn't be long before Tracie figured things out.

Denise and Cynthia Rose from Alyson's studio also had a jazz duet. It was to "Problem" by Natalia Kills. They were wearing shiny gold jackets and black and gold leggings. There was a lot of twerking in it, and the judges didn't seem very impressed. Most of the audience looked confused.

Awards came up next. Beca did her best to ignore the dirty looks thrown to her by her old teammates.

Lilly's solo won for hip-hop, Chloe's for tap, Aubrey's for ballet, and Stacie's for musical theater. Denise took first for jazz, and Beca took second. Denise threw Beca a smug look, and Chloe squeezed Beca's hand. Beca managed to hold her temper, but just barely. She reminded herself that she qualified for nationals for her solo, and she had time to perfect hers and hopefully beat Denise then. Aubrey took first for overall solos in her age group (17-18). Chloe took first for overall solos, and Denise took third, Beca fourth, and Lilly got fifth in the 15-16 age group. The first and fifth places in that age group were only separated by 2.1 points.

Duet awards came up after that. Jessica and Ashley's duet won for tap, and Beca and Chloe's duet won for jazz. Denise and Cynthia Rose took third for jazz. Beca and Chloe won for overall duets, and Jessica and Ashley took fourth overall for duets. Denise and Cynthia Rose took tenth overall for duets.

Tracie was pleased with her students. Everyone's solos and/or duets qualified for nationals. She took Beca aside to talk to her about the jazz solo. "I know you're upset," said Tracie.

"I can't believe Denise beat me with my own solo," said Beca.

"Alyson did it to upset you. Please try not to give her the satisfaction. You and I will work hard, and you'll do your best at nationals next month. I don't care if you beat her. Just try and improve yourself," said Tracie.

"I'll try, but it still hurts," said Beca.

"I know, honey. Just try and put it out of your mind," said Tracie.

Beca nodded. The girls packed up and headed to the bus to the hotel. Tracie told the girls to meet back in the lobby in an hour for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jessica and Ashley's duet is a reference to a YouTube video. Look up Christopher Rice on YouTube. He and several other Broadway dancers do a tap routine to that song, and it's really cool. I'm a huge fan of his work. Tap and/or Broadway fans really should check out his YouTube channel.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I don't own Pitch Perfect, its characters, or any song or movie mentioned. Again, a reminder that the Beca in this universe is much smaller than Chloe or any of the other girls. It just works better, in my opinion. I'll also warn you there's a cheesy element to this chapter, but I couldn't help myself.

 

Beca and Stacie wiped off their stage makeup and took their hair down from their competition styles. Stacie put on a white peasant style top, red jeggings, and brown boots. She let her long brown hair fall on her shoulders in waves. Beca put on a gray shirt, black skinny jeans, and black ankle boots. She wore her hair half up again, a favorite style of hers.

They met Tracie and the girls in the lobby. They boarded the bus and ate dinner at a nearby diner. After dinner, Tracie gave the girls the usual speech about "lights out by 10." She agreed to let the girls hang out in one of the hotel rooms since they'd managed not to get a noise complaint last time. The girls chose Aubrey and Chloe's room. After some conversation, the girls chose to make it a movie night. Beca didn't really like most movies, but she agreed. She wasn't sure she could take another round of Truth or Dare or Never Have I Ever, especially with the girls aware of her relationship with Chloe. The last Truth or Dare game had been embarrassing enough. Besides, she wasn't going to turn down an opportunity to cuddle with Chloe. She wasn't a hugger, but Chloe was different. It was always different with Chloe, she began to realize.

The girls flipped through the channels on the hotel TV. They found something they could all agree upon that was also going to be over before 10.  _Into the Woods_  was on, and had just begun the opening musical number. The girls all pointed out that Beca looked an awful lot like the Cinderella character. "No, I think she's taller," Beca said.

"Beca, everyone's taller than you," said Stacie. This prompted an eye roll from Beca. She was tiny, only about 4'10" but it wasn't like she could help it. Besides, she was 15, so maybe she'd get taller later. Maybe.

"I think she's beautiful but not as beautiful as you," said Chloe, looking directly at Beca. Beca smiled and planted a kiss on Chloe's lips. A couple girls started some wolf whistles, but Aubrey reminded everyone to be quiet. Chloe put her arm around Beca and pulled her close. Beca sighed and put her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"Besides, I wouldn't want to be Cinderella anyway. She has to kiss a boy," said Beca, making a face. Chloe laughed.

"I hear ya," Chloe said. The girls watched the movie, mostly in silence. Occasionally one would sing along. Chloe, not surprisingly, knew most of the lyrics sung by Little Red Riding Hood. Beca surprised everyone by standing up and singing along to "On the Steps of the Palace." "You said you didn't like movies," Chloe said.

"I don't, but I love musicals. This is one of my favorites, and this is my favorite song in it," said Beca.

"You sing it so well," said Chloe.

"Thanks," said Beca with a shy smile. She sat back down next to Chloe and went back to cuddling with her. They occasionally exchanged a few chaste kisses, but mostly watched the movie. Before they knew it, the end credits were rolling. Beca sang along with the last song, making it a point to sing the last "I wish" with Cinderella and strike a final pose. The other girls applauded. She took a bow, giggling.

It was fifteen minutes until "lights out." The girls looked around, waiting for Aubrey to shoo them out of the room. However, Aubrey wasn't there, and neither was Stacie. The two must have sneaked out of the room at some point during the movie. Beca figured the two had likely gone to Beca and Stacie's room, and she was reasonably sure she did NOT want to walk in there unannounced. Beca tried calling her room, but nobody picked up. The other girls left and went back to their hotel rooms, all swearing they wouldn't snitch on Stacie and Aubrey. Beca and Chloe quietly walked to the door of Beca's room. They listened at the door, and then hurried back to Chloe's room. It was no mystery what Aubrey and Stacie were doing.

So, this was a problem on a few levels. For one thing, if Aubrey and Stacie didn't stop soon, Tracie was going to hear them. This would likely get all four girls in trouble, as they were sure Tracie didn't want them switching rooms. While Beca and Chloe figured Tracie might have an inkling about the two of them, she hadn't seemed to notice anything between Aubrey and Stacie. Tracie hadn't actually said anything about her dancers dating each other, but neither couple was ready to share that information.

Beca and Chloe decided it might be worth a try to text Aubrey and Stacie. Chloe texted Aubrey and Beca texted Stacie. They warned them it was getting close to lights out and that they were about to get all four of them in trouble. They sent the texts one line at a time, hoping that both girls' phones going off repeatedly might snap them out of what they were doing. At this point, they had about ten minutes until "lights out" and all hell was going to break loose if they were caught.

Five minutes went by, and neither girl had responded. They called the room again, very nervous at this point. Finally, a somewhat breathless Stacie answered. "What?"

"Stacie, what do you think you're doing?"

"Aubrey, or at least I was before you two started blowing up our phones," she answered. Beca could hear the smirk on Stacie's face.

"Yeah, that's...ummm...obvious," said Beca. "But, seriously, do you know what time it is?"

Stacie paused for a minute. "Oh, shit!" she yelled. "Aubrey, we have less than ten minutes, get dressed before Tracie catches us!" Beca could hear scrambling in the background and Aubrey hollering something.

"Stacie, I'll be in the room in two minutes. If Aubrey isn't out of there, I'm going to kill both of you!" Beca hung up.

At 9:55, Beca was standing at the hotel room door. She knocked softly and listened before unlocking the room. She didn't hear anything, so she cautiously opened the door. Luckily, she saw Aubrey was dressed. She was putting her shoes on and her hair was a mess, but Beca didn't end up seeing any more of Aubrey than she wanted to. Stacie was also dressed, luckily. Stacie planted a quick kiss on Aubrey's lips, and then Aubrey walked out of the room, not meeting Beca's eyes. Stacie hit the lights just as the room clock read 10:00. She and Beca hadn't even gotten changed into pajamas yet.

They heard Tracie walk down the hall a minute later. They heard her footsteps pause, but she didn't knock or try and open the door. Beca heard Stacie breathe a sigh of relief as soon as Tracie's footsteps resumed. A few minutes later, Stacie's phone pinged with a text. It was Aubrey telling her they'd just heard Tracie leave. They hadn't been caught staying up past "lights out." Lucky for them. Beca went into the bathroom to change into pajamas. Stacie was in bed in pajamas when Beca came out of the bathroom. Beca climbed into her bed and hoped Tracie wouldn't walk by again.

Beca waited a little more and then talked to Stacie. "Are you still awake?"

"Yeah."

"When did you guys sneak out of the room?"

"During your little musical performance. You didn't notice?"

"I guess I was a little wrapped up in my singing. Actually, nobody noticed until the movie was over. We were waiting for the 'drill sergeant' to kick us out of the room. I can't believe you convinced Aubrey to sneak out of the room. She loves rules."

"What makes you think I was the instigator?"

"No..."

"I guess Aubrey loves me more than she loves rules."

"I would never have guessed," said Beca, chuckling. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did," said Stacie, giggling.

"Very funny," said Beca, rolling her eyes.

"I thought so. What do you want to know?" asked Stacie.

"Was that your first time?" asked Beca.

"Well, it was mine with a girl. Aubrey's first ever," said Stacie.

"What's it like?" asked Beca.

"It's awesome. I've done it with a couple guys before, but it's different with a girl. Or, at least, it's different with Aubrey."

"Hmmm..." said Beca. "Chloe and I haven't gotten that far. I think we both want to, but we've only been together for a few weeks."

"Do you love her?" asked Stacie.

"Yeah, I mean, I think I do. I only know I've never felt this way before about anybody," said Beca.

"Well, if Chloe loves you too, I don't see why you should wait," said Stacie. Beca didn't answer. She had a lot to think about, and she and Chloe had some talking to do. Both girls fell asleep shortly after.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is short, but the next one is really long. Hope you're still enjoying the story.

The wake-up call came in at 6 am. Both Beca and Stacie groaned. Beca took the first shower. Stacie dragged herself out of bed as soon as she heard the water shut off. Beca dried her hair, grabbed her group costume and dance bag, and got dressed in her competition uniform. She finished packing up and started her makeup. Stacie helped her with the fake eyelashes again, promising Beca she'd teach her sometime. Beca fixed her hair in a high, straight ponytail, and then she and Stacie met the others for breakfast.

Beca fussed at Chloe to try and get her to eat breakfast. Again. The other girls waited for Tracie to leave the table and asked Beca, Chloe, Aubrey, and Stacie about what happened after they left. They assured them Tracie hadn't caught them but didn't share any details about what had happened. Beca figured that would probably come out at their next Truth or Dare or Never Have I Ever game.

The girls finished their breakfast. Beca had managed to get Chloe to take about five bites of food before giving up. The girls all headed back to their rooms to finish packing and freshen up their makeup. It was Sunday, and the girls would be heading back after the awards ceremony. Tracie didn't like taking the girls out of school unless it was unavoidable.

They met Tracie in the lobby and waited for her to do final walk-throughs and check the girls out of their rooms. Tracie got on the bus and held up a bra. "I found this in Beca and Stacie's room. Which one of you owns this?" The bra didn't belong to either of them. It was Aubrey's.

"It's, uh, mine. Sorry," said Beca, grabbing the bra. She knew Stacie was obviously quite a bit more "gifted" in that area than either Beca or Aubrey, so she couldn't pretend it was hers. Tracie gave her a look as it was obviously too big for Beca, but didn't ask questions. Stacie looked over at Beca and mouthed  _Thank you_  to her for saving her.

They headed to the dressing room. The ballet number was up first, so Beca took control of the music while the rest of the girls ran the number. She wished everyone luck and went to the audience with Tracie to watch. The piece looked great! Beca mostly watched Chloe, and she was certain Chloe was using her facial expressions more than usual. Tracie was pleased, so Beca took that as a good sign. She couldn't see the judges from where she sat, so she couldn't get a feel for what they thought.

Alyson's studio came out with the lyrical piece they'd competed last time, Denise taking over Beca's original leading part. Beca had to admit the piece looked good, and that Denise had done her part well. It was going to be tough to see which group number won overall.

Beca met her teammates in the dressing room. They didn't have long to get changed into their other group costumes. Beca got ready in her costume quickly and helped the girls with hair changes. The group ran their number a few times, and then it was time to head backstage.

Beca was nervous when it was time to go up. She'd done her solo before, and a duet with Chloe, but doing an entire group number with this team was new. She was standing next to Chloe, and the first part of the dance was partner work. They exchanged big smiles, and Beca had all the confidence she needed at that point. The girls showed a lot of personality and really had the audience interested as they danced to "Run the World."

Just as the girls were walking off stage, Chloe dropped to the floor. Chaos began backstage! Beca and Aubrey stayed with Chloe while the other girls ran to get Tracie. Chloe was breathing, but she was pale and sweating. Beca was crying, gripping Chloe's hand, trying to get Chloe to wake up. Tracie hurried backstage and instructed Aubrey to find Chloe some water and some wet paper towels. She asked the competition staff to get a medic back there. "She's hardly eaten all day," said Beca. "She said she was too nervous." Tracie nodded. She was used to Chloe barely eating on competition days, but Chloe had never fainted at a competition before. Aubrey came back with water and some wet paper towels. Tracie gently patted Chloe's face with wet paper towels and Chloe regained consciousness.

"What happened?" Chloe asked.

"You fainted," said Beca, still crying. "Are you okay?"

"I'm dizzy, but I think I'm okay."

"Drink this," said Tracie. She helped Chloe sit up and handed her a bottle of water. "Better?"

"Thanks," said Chloe. "Beca, your makeup is a mess."

"I don't care. As long as you're okay."

"I am." The medic came in. They checked Chloe's pulse and blood pressure. They told Tracie they thought it was from Chloe being dehydrated and not eating much. Jessica and Ashley ran to get some snacks from the dressing room. The medic monitored Chloe while she sat up and waited for food. Beca still hadn't let go of Chloe's hand. She ate some of the food Jessica and Ashley brought. Color returned to her cheeks, her pulse rate and blood pressure returned to normal, and the medics let her go with the promise that she'd contact them if she felt bad again.

"Do not scare me like that again!" yelled Beca, and then she kissed Chloe. Tracie looked at the two girls. In Beca's worry about Chloe, she had forgotten that Tracie didn't know they were dating.

"Do you two have something to share?" asked Tracie.

"We're dating," said Chloe. "I guess there's no hiding it now."

"I had a feeling. I guess that's why you two aren't sharing a hotel room anymore," said Tracie. She gave the two of them a hug.

"So, you're okay with this?" asked Beca.

"It's fine with me. Just keep any relationship drama out of the dance studio, okay?" said Tracie.

"There's no drama," said Chloe.

"I hope it stays that way," said Tracie. "Let's get all of you back to the dressing room."

The girls fixed their makeup (Beca and Chloe were a mess), put on their competition uniforms and then headed to the stage for awards. The ballet routine got first in its category, and Alyson's studio took first for lyrical. "Run the World" got first in jazz. For overall group awards, "Run the World" took first, Alyson's lyrical number took second, and their ballet number took third. Everything qualified for nationals. Beca and her team were super proud but knew they'd have to be on top of their game for nationals.

Alyson and her team passed the girls on the way to the dressing room. "Great job," said Beca to the team, meaning it. "Thanks," said Cynthia Rose. None of the other girls responded, and Alyson acted like she hadn't heard a thing.  _Most of them can't even appreciate a compliment_ , thought Beca.

The girls boarded the bus, and it was a very quiet ride back. They had planned to make a quick bathroom stop on the way back, but every single girl was asleep. Tracie told the bus driver to keep going, and she let the parents know the girls might be back a bit early. Tracie snapped a few photos of her sleeping dancers on the bus and added those to the studio's Instagram. She thought it might be a fun addition to the other costumed snapshots she'd been posting all weekend.

The dancers were a little groggy when their parents came to pick them up from the dance studio. Beca got into her mom's car and shut her eyes immediately. She was exhausted. When she got home, she went straight to her room and went to bed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super long chapter ahead. Enjoy!

Monday morning came early for Beca, or at least it felt like it did. She was exhausted from the entire weekend of competition. She'd been too tired to even text Chloe when she'd gotten home from the competition. She didn't see a text from Chloe on her phone, so she figured Chloe had been just as tired. She was relieved that she hadn't had any homework over the weekend, or she'd have had to figure out a way to stay awake late enough to finish it.

She moaned and groaned through breakfast, and was still barely even speaking when her mom took her to school. She managed to tell her mom she was just tired and not to worry as she got out of the car to head to school. She managed to sit through classes, but she didn't feel like she'd absorbed a thing. She really was dragging.

She had dance class after school as usual and was not on her game. Normally Tracie would give the girls Monday off if the competition had lasted all weekend, but she really wanted to have class and give the girls more opportunity to fine-tune their dances. This ended up being a bad decision on her part. All the girls were tired and grumpy, even Chloe, the seemingly endless ray of sunshine. Tracie realized after an hour that all the girls were simply too tired after the weekend of competition. She told the girls to head out early and get some sleep. Beca normally hated leaving dance class early, but this time she wasn't complaining. She promised Chloe she'd call her after she did some homework, and was thankful when her dad came to pick her up from dance.

Beca ate her dinner, did the bare minimum with her homework, and headed to her room. She texted Chloe and then called her when Chloe said she could talk.

"Hey, Becs."

"Hey, Chlo."

"What did you want to talk about?" asked Chloe.

"Did you and Aubrey talk Saturday night?" asked Beca.

"Yeah. You and Stacie?" asked Chloe.

"We talked too. She said sneaking out was Aubrey's idea. That surprised me."

"Yeah, me too. I would have pegged Stacie to start that," said Chloe.

"Yeah. Did Aubrey say anything about it? Stacie said it was their first time."

"That's what Aubrey said. She definitely would have told me if they'd done it before."

"Yeah. Stacie said sex is awesome. What did Aubrey say?"

"Pretty much the same thing."

"Yeah. I've been thinking more about it," said Beca.

"And?" asked Chloe.

"Nothing new. Just thinking. I'm still not quite ready yet," said Beca.

"Okay, I don't think I'm ready either," said Chloe. She yawned. "Beca, I'm really tired. I need to get some sleep."

"Me too. Good night, Chloe."

"Good night, Beca."

Beca climbed into bed and fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. That night she dreamed of Chloe. Just being close to her, holding her, kissing her, and loving her. She woke up the next morning realizing that she was totally in love with Chloe. The hard part was figuring out how and when to tell her.

* * *

Tuesday, Beca felt much better. She really needed that extra rest time. On the way to school, she told her mom that Tracie had found out about her relationship with Chloe. Her mom was relieved to learn that Tracie didn't have a problem with it. She did much better at school and was back to her old self at the dance studio. Tracie spoke with the girls before class started.

"I was going to talk about this yesterday, but I saw how tired all of you were. Everyone looks much better today, so I figure I have your full attention now. Great job on the jazz number on Sunday. The partner work was great, and you really had the audience's attention. It definitely needs some tweaking, but it was great for a first run. It's going to be in excellent shape by nationals. Which, by the way, is in three weeks. We won't be attending any more competitions until then, so I am expecting everyone to be attending dance classes on Saturdays until the competition. I'll give you Sundays off unless I feel you need the extra practice. Chloe, I want to talk to you privately before we start class. The rest of you, please begin stretching and warming up. We won't be long."

Tracie and Chloe spoke in her office. "I'm sorry about Sunday," Chloe began.

Tracie cut her off and said, "Don't be. I know you've been battling nerves at competitions for a while. I should have seen this coming. To be honest, in hindsight, I can't believe it didn't happen earlier. Anyway, I didn't bring you here to scold you. I wanted to tell you I've talked to your parents, and we agreed to have you see a therapist. I'll pay. I set you up for tomorrow afternoon with a woman I've used myself. She actually used to be a competitive dancer. She should be able to help you work through nerves so you aren't too nervous to eat on competition days."

"But, won't that make me late for class?" Chloe asked.

"It will, but it's more important to me that you take care of your mental and physical health. I'd rather you miss class occasionally to get your nerves under control," said Tracie.

"Thanks," said Chloe.

"Okay, back to class. I'm sure the girls, especially Beca, are waiting," she said, winking at Chloe. Chloe blushed a little and headed to class.

The girls continued class. Tracie sent Beca to another room at the dance studio with one of her assistants to run her solo while she worked on the ballet group number with the others. Beca practiced hard and became much more consistent with her double pirouette. She only missed it once the entire practice. Tracie sent Chloe into the room with Beca and instructed her assistant to run their duet. The other girls had been split up to work on solos and duets. The assistant told the girls to change the single pirouette in the dance to a double to see how it looked. Beca hit the double every single time. Tracie came in to watch and was pleased that Beca was able to pull off the double pirouette. "We'll leave the double pirouette in there for now, but I may switch it to a single if you start having trouble again before nationals, Beca," said Tracie. Beca nodded. The girls all headed back to the main room and watched each other with their solos and duets. Chloe hadn't had a chance to run her tap solo prior to this, but it looked really good anyway.

Tracie had the girls work on "Run the World." She had been pleased with their performance, but she saw room for improvement. The partner work was great but needed a few tweaks. Lilly had her own part during the partner work. She did it well, but she needed to work on her timing so it matched what the other girls were doing better. The group spent an hour on the number, and Tracie was pleased. It still needed more work, but it was much cleaner. She sent the girls home for the night.

Beca and Chloe texted for a while that night. Beca hadn't yet decided how and when to tell Chloe she loved her, but she knew she didn't want to do it over text. Chloe told Beca about seeing a therapist, and Beca was really supportive. She also asked Chloe about making regular dates since they didn't have competition for several more weeks. They agreed Saturday evenings would be their date nights, with the understanding that they may have to cut them early if Tracie added in Sunday rehearsals. Tracie seemed fine with the two of them dating, but they knew she'd be mad if their dates kept them up late and too tired to rehearse.

Wednesday through Friday that week went similarly. The one exception was that Chloe was late to class on Wednesday because she was seeing a therapist. The therapist helped Chloe with some breathing techniques and some other ideas to help her calm her nerves on competition days.

The girls worked hard at improving their numbers. Tracie had been going over everything with a fine-toothed comb. She noted every single foot out of place, timing missed, and worked with all of the girls on their emotional connection to their pieces. She realized when Beca joined her studio that she hadn't worked hard enough with her girls on their facial expressions. She had the girls critique each other on their solos and duets. The girls were uneasy at first on criticizing their peers, but Tracie made it clear that they were to give and accept constructive criticism from each other.

* * *

Saturday, the girls had five hours of rehearsals. It was exhausting, but the numbers really did look better after those five hours. Tracie told the girls they could have Sunday off. She was pleased with how hard they'd been working.

Beca and Chloe were excited to have a date night. Chloe picked Beca up in her new car at 7 to head to the mall. Beca's parents were uneasy at first about Chloe driving Beca, but they had spoken to Chloe's parents. Chloe's parents assured them that Chloe was a very responsible driver.

The first thing the girls did was hit the arcade. They played air hockey, and both were pretty competitive. Beca won and gloated. She said she was the scrappy little winner. Chloe laughed and pulled Beca in for a kiss. A few people nearby gave them a few wolf whistles, making the two girls blush a little. The two played a few other games, and then they walked over to the ice cream place at the mall. They shared a big sundae but didn't quite finish it.

"Hey Beca, you have something over there," said Chloe, pointing to the corner of Beca's lips. Before Beca could wipe her mouth, Chloe kissed her, licking off the little bit of ice cream. Beca smiled into the kiss.

"I like it when you help," she said, laughing.

"Mmmm...you taste like ice cream," said Chloe, giggling.

"So do you," said Beca. She paused, looking Chloe in the eyes. "Hey, Chloe."

"Yeah?"

"I think I love you," she said. She quickly added, "You don't have to say it back. I just wanted you to know."

"Beca," said Chloe, taking Beca's hands in hers. "I love you too. I've been wanting to tell you, but I was worried I'd scare you off."

"I don't scare that easily," said Beca. She gave Chloe another kiss.

Chloe took Beca home and walked her to the door. She gave Beca a hug and a kiss at the door. "I had a great time, Beca."

"Me too. I'll call you tomorrow. Love you!" said Beca.

"Love you too!" said Chloe.

Beca's dad was waiting in the living room when she opened the door. He asked if she'd had a good time, but didn't say anything else. He obviously still wasn't very happy about Beca dating a girl, but at least he kept his opinion to himself that night.

Beca spent Sunday catching up on schoolwork. She had a science test the next day, and she needed to study. She knew if she didn't keep her grades up, her parents wouldn't let her stay on the competition team. She called Chloe and they talked for a while, but they didn't get together. Chloe had been working on her English paper and studying for a math test, so she really didn't have the time to spend with Beca that day either.

The next week of dance classes went the same. They tweaked the numbers, and things were in pretty good shape. Beca was consistently hitting her double pirouette, so it was staying in both her solo and her duet with Chloe. Tracie told the girls on Wednesday that she had booked them a small performance that Sunday at a nearby nursing home. It would put smiles on the faces of the residents, and give the girls an opportunity to practice the numbers in front of an audience again before nationals. Tracie was also hoping that it might give Chloe an opportunity to use the techniques her therapist was teaching her. A performance at a nursing home wasn't exactly as nerve-wracking as a competition, but it was a start.

Beca asked her parents about hosting a party for her fellow dancers that Sunday. She happened to live two blocks from the nursing home, and it would be a good chance for everyone to get together one last time before nationals. Her parents agreed. The weather was warm, so her dad said he'd make it a cookout. Beca invited the team, and everyone was available to attend. Tracie said she'd stop by as well.

* * *

Sunday, the girls all met at the nursing home. They were so excited, and Chloe appeared calmer than usual. She definitely seemed jittery and nervous, but Beca could tell that Chloe was trying to use the techniques her therapist taught her.

"How are you doing there, Chlo?" asked Beca.

"Okay," said Chloe.

"Did you eat today?" asked Beca.

"Yes. I think I'll be okay today," said Chloe.

"Great," said Beca. She squeezed Chloe's hand and then gave her a big hug.

The ballet number went up first, followed by Beca's solo. Lilly's hip-hop number was next, and then Chloe did her solo. Jessica and Ashley followed with their duet, and then Aubrey did her pointe solo. Stacie did her musical theater solo, earning a few whistles from some of the gentlemen in the audience. Beca and Chloe did their duet after that. Tracie bought Beca and Chloe some time to change into their "Run the World" costume by telling the residents that Beca had created the music to the duet and that both girls were singing in it. She saw that Beca and Chloe weren't yet ready, so she brought Aubrey up on stage to tell them about Aubrey's upcoming graduation and her scholarship to Barden University. Once she was done with that speech, everyone was ready. She presented the final number.

The girls nailed "Run the World." The residents applauded generously. Tracie introduced each team member at the end of the performance and had the girls take a final bow.

Tracie was really pleased with everyone's performances. It was obvious the girls had been working hard, applying corrections, and had given their all for the show even though it was just for a nursing home. She told the girls she'd see everyone at Beca's shortly.

The girls all walked to Beca's house after the show. Beca gave them the grand tour, and everyone headed out back where Beca's dad had fired up the grill. He had burgers, hot dogs, and chicken grilling. Beca's mom told the girls there were sodas in the cooler, and she took potato salad and some fruit and vegetable trays out of the fridge.

Beca grabbed her laptop out of her room and hooked it up to some speakers on the deck. "So, I know you have all heard the mix I made for Chloe's and my duet. I thought I'd share a few more while you're here. Aubrey, Chloe said you'd really like this one." She played her mix of "Just the Way You Are" and "Just a Dream." Aubrey smiled when the song began, and her smile only grew bigger when she heard the two songs together. She played a few more for everyone while everyone ate. Everyone was really impressed with Beca's talent for mixing music. Tracie showed up while everyone was listening to Beca's music. The other girls' parents arrived to join in the fun. They were chatting among themselves over beer and wine while the girls continued to chat and giggle about all kinds of things.

After a while, the girls all headed to Beca's room. They wanted to watch a movie. Beca only owned movie musicals, so their choices were limited. They finally agreed on Rent. Beca and Chloe cuddled together, Beca's head on Chloe's shoulder. Aubrey sat in Stacie's lap. Jessica and Ashley were snuggled together, and Lilly was off to the side. At one point during the movie, Stacie had Aubrey get off of her lap, and then she stood up and sang "Out Tonight" with the Mimi character giving Aubrey a lap dance that made her turn several shades of red. She ended up in Aubrey's lap, kissing her. The other girls gave them a few wolf whistles, and Aubrey broke the kiss, still embarrassed.

Just as the Maureen and Joanne characters were about to begin "Take Me or Leave Me" Ashley and Jessica hopped up. "This is our song!" yelled Ashley and Jessica in unison. Ashley immediately sang along with Maureen's character, and then Jessica joined in singing Joanne's parts. They were very animated, had excellent singing voices, and the other girls agreed they'd given the movie actresses a run for their money. Ashley and Jessica took a bow.

"We've been singing that number together in my room since we were twelve," said Jessica.

"I think Rent is my favorite musical," said Ashley.

"It's a good one," said Beca. "You guys were awesome."

"Thanks," said Ashley and Jessica in unison. They had a knack for doing that. Beca figured it was because the two girls had been close since before either one could remember.

Once the movie was over, the girls left Beca's room. Tracie and their parents were still chatting in Beca's backyard. They had been discussing travel arrangements for nationals. Tracie always had the girls bring at least one parent for nationals. This year's nationals took place across the country. While the parents trusted Tracie with their girls, it made everyone at least a little nervous to have the girls that far away from their parents when they were all minors.

The girls all said goodbye as their parents had to take them home. Beca gave Chloe a hug and a kiss goodbye, and her dad gasped again. Beca hoped her father would have accepted their relationship by now, as it had been over a month now, but it hadn't happened yet.

Beca's mom said, "Hey, Beca."

"Yeah?"

"We were talking about travel arrangements for nationals."

"I heard. What did you decide?" asked Beca.

"We're going to share a hotel room with Lynn and Chloe."

"Really? Cool!"

"Lynn and I have gotten pretty close lately. We figured we might as well save money and all four of us can room together. You, however, will NOT be sharing a bed with Chloe, Young Lady."

"Okay. I guess I can't exactly figure on you and Miss Lynn wanting to share a bed. That'd be weird."

"Yeah, it would, even if you and Chloe weren't together," said her mom.

"I guess that's fair. Sharing a room will be fun," said Beca.

"I'm sure we'll have a great time. You'd better head to bed. There's no way Tracie is going to let you guys off the hook this week."

"Good night, Mom and Dad," said Beca. She texted Chloe the good news. Chloe, of course, had already heard from her mom. The girls were really happy to be sharing a room, even if it meant their moms would be sharing the room as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ashley and Jessica singing along to Rent is inspired by a YouTube of Shelley Regner (the actress who plays Ashley) singing that same song. It's only a small part of that song, but she's awesome in it. I thought it would be fun to throw into the story. The scene from the movie is also on YouTube, and it's pretty fun.


	18. Chapter 18

It was the last week of dance classes before nationals. Tracie was nervous, and so were the girls. They'd all been working really hard at fine-tuning their numbers, but they had been making silly mistakes due to the pressure. They knew they'd pull it together for the competition, but nobody felt good about making silly mistakes this close to the competition. Luckily for Beca, she was still consistently hitting her double turn. At this point, she worried she'd get confused if Tracie took it out this late in the game.

It just so happened that Friday of that week, Beca's parents had to attend a gala held by her father's employer. It was a huge yearly celebration, and everyone attended. Spouses/significant others were expected to come along. This presented a bit of a problem with it being the last class before the team traveled to nationals. Beca wasn't attending the gala, as she was too young, but this also meant neither parent could pick her up from dance. Beca was still too young to drive. Chloe offered to take Beca home from dance, and her parents were thankful for the help. Beca lived in the opposite direction from the studio that Chloe did, but Chloe didn't mind. The girls were happy to have some time to themselves, as dance was keeping them too busy and tired to spend any time together without the other dancers. They offered to reimburse Chloe for gas, but she declined.

The team was booked on a flight that left around noon on Sunday, so there wouldn't be any class on Saturday. Tracie wanted the girls to have time to rest and to make sure they packed everything. The national competition lasted a week, but the team would only be competing for three days. It happened to fall during spring break, so nobody had to miss school. Tracie had yet to find a school principal that was willing to let a student miss an entire week of school for a dance competition. A lot of her students were homeschooled, but the only one on this particular competition team who was homeschooled was Lilly.

Friday night came around. The dancers had gotten their nerves under control, and weren't making silly mistakes as often. Tracie let them out an hour early, making them promise they'd use that time to rest.

Beca climbed into the passenger seat of Chloe's car. When Chloe pulled up in front of Beca's house, Beca asked her to come in for a while. "Chloe, my parents won't be home for hours. We never get to spend any time alone, and we sure won't when we're sharing a hotel room with our moms."

"Okay, I'll come in for a while," said Chloe. She missed spending time alone with Beca.

"Let's go up to my room. I'll let you pick the movie."

"Still only musicals?"

"Duh. The only movies worth watching," said Beca.

"Okay, how about Grease?" asked Chloe.

"Love that one," said Beca. She loaded the movie, and the girls climbed into Beca's bed. They snuggled up closely while the movie began. After a little while, they were kissing passionately, and definitely not watching the movie. The next thing they knew, hands had started groping, and then clothing was removed. The two of them ended up having sex for the first time. It was sweet and special, and they told each other how much they loved each other. They cuddled together afterward, and they ended up falling asleep in Beca's bed, still naked.

A few hours later, Beca's parents came home. They noticed Chloe's car was parked out front, and they were concerned. They came in and called up to Beca's room. "Beca? We're home!" they both said.

Beca and Chloe woke with a start when they heard Beca's parents. They realized they had fallen asleep naked, and there was no way they could hide what had happened. Beca pulled up the covers and braced herself for what was not going to be a pretty scene.

Beca's parents walked in, and both gasped. Her father immediately walked out of the room without a word. Her mom asked, "Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes, Mom," said Beca. "We had sex. We love each other. We're sorry you found out this way."

"Chloe, you need to get dressed and go home. It's late, and I'm sure your parents are worried."

"Yes, Mrs. Mitchell," said Chloe. Beca's mom left the room to give them some privacy to get dressed. Both girls came down after dressing quickly.

"Good night, Chloe. I love you," said Beca, giving Chloe a kiss.

"Love you too," said Chloe as she left.

"I'm going to call Chloe's mom," said Ellen. "She's probably very worried about Chloe being out so late, and she has a right to know what happened."

"Okay," said Beca, quietly.

Lynn picked up on the first ring. "Lynn? It's Ellen. Chloe just left our house."

"Oh, good. She didn't answer my texts. What happened?"

"The girls fell asleep. There's something you should know, though," said Ellen.

"What?"

"They fell asleep after they'd been having sex. We found them naked in Beca's bed."

"Oh. I guess that's why Chloe wasn't answering my texts."

"Is that all that's bothering you?" asked Ellen.

"Well, I kind of wish they'd come to us first, but I'm not all that worried about it. I don't know what you were doing at their ages, but I'm sure I was way worse. Keep in mind, this is my second time having a daughter this age. Annabelle got into a lot more trouble. At least we know Chloe's usually at dance, and Beca's a great girl," said Lynn.

"I guess you're right. I do need to have a talk with Beca, though. I don't like her having anyone over without us being home."

"Chloe's home, so I'm going to talk to her. We can discuss this more when we're all sharing a hotel room."

"Great idea. Talk to you then."

"Bye."

"Mom, what did Miss Lynn say?" asked Beca.

"Well, she's not happy that Chloe wasn't answering her texts and was out so late, and she wishes you and Chloe had come to us first. I think she has calmed me down a bit."

"Are you mad?"

"I'm actually more upset that you had Chloe over when we weren't home. You're not even supposed to be in your room with the door shut when she's here, so why did you think having her here without us home was a good idea?"

"I was lonely. We weren't planning to have sex. It just happened. We were snuggled up watching a movie, and then I guess we weren't watching the movie anymore," said Beca.

"Was that your first time?"

"Yes. We'd talked about it, but we hadn't planned on doing it tonight. I really just wanted her to keep me company for a while. Like I said, it just happened. I love Chloe, and I honestly don't regret it."

"I guess I get that. Sometimes I forget what it was like to be a teenager," said Ellen.

"Yeah because that was before electricity," laughed Beca.

"I'm not  _that_  old," laughed Ellen. "You need to get to bed. We have packing to do tomorrow. I need to talk to your father about this."

Beca grimaced. Her father hadn't yet been able to handle seeing her kiss Chloe, so she was probably in for it. "Good night. Please tell him I'm sorry for breaking the rules."

"I will, but you should probably tell him yourself tomorrow."

Beca headed to her room and texted Chloe.

_Beca: U still up?_

_Chloe: Yeah, couldn't sleep_

_Beca: Me neither. What did your mom say?_

_Chloe: She's more upset I didn't talk to her first, and that I was out late._

_Beca: I think she talked a little sense into my mom. Mom isn't mad. I still haven't talked to Dad._

_Chloe: Let me know how it goes. You were awesome, by the way. I'm glad you were my first._

_Beca: Me too. I love you._

_Chloe: I love you too._

_Beca: I need to try and sleep._

_Chloe: Ok good night._

_Beca: Good night._

Beca had a hard time sleeping after that. Despite being caught by her parents, it was a great night. She and Chloe had finally been alone and able to really show each other how they felt. It had felt so good, and she felt so much closer to Chloe than she had before. Of course, now that her mom was aware, they'd likely never be left alone again. That was a really sad thought, but Beca hoped they'd somehow get the opportunity again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled a lot with this chapter. I had a hard time making the conversation with Beca's mom work. I tried not to make it too cringe-worthy.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There's more conversation with Beca's mom here, and I tried really hard to make it as comfortable as possible.

 

Saturday morning, Beca came down for breakfast. Her father left the room as soon as he saw her. She tried to follow him and apologize, but he ignored her. She figured he was angry about the night before, so she decided to give him his space. It hurt her, though. She hadn't meant for anything to happen.

"Mom, how mad is Dad? He hasn't said a word to me since you guys got home last night."

"He's pretty upset. Give him some time. I'll try to talk to him."

"Okay," said Beca.

Beca and her mom spent most of the day getting things together for the trip to nationals. Last-minute shopping needed to happen, and they had to double check that they'd packed all of Beca's costumes, tights, shoes, makeup, accessories, etc. They confirmed their plane tickets and hotel reservations. By the time dinner time rolled around, they were packed and ready. Beca's dad didn't join them for dinner. He mumbled something about having work to do and stayed in his office. Beca knew he didn't have any work to do. He was still mad at her. It was starting to really sting now, but she didn't feel like there was anything she could do at that point.

Beca and Chloe texted for a while that evening. They weren't supposed to stay up late, but they were both too excited about nationals to sleep much. They finally stopped texting around midnight, although neither girl felt especially tired at that point. Beca laid awake for a while. She had a lot on her mind. Obviously, the upcoming competition was on her mind. She was stressed about her father's refusal to be in the same room with her, and she was worried about getting on a plane the next day. She'd been on a plane before, but she hated flying. The idea terrified her. She finally managed to fall asleep around 2 and was very grumpy when her alarm went off at 7. Her mom insisted on Beca being up that early because she didn't want to rush, and they needed to be at the airport early to go through security.

Beca's dad left the room the minute Beca went to the kitchen for breakfast. Beca was pretty upset about it, but she tried to focus on her busy day. She finished packing and was ready to leave for the airport right on time. She went to her dad's office and said goodbye to him, and he mumbled a quick goodbye. He kept his back turned the whole time. Her mom knew she was upset, and she put her arm around Beca. "We need to get to the airport, honey," she said. Beca nodded and left the room with tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe her dad was treating her this way.

Beca and her mom talked on the hour-long drive to the airport. "Dad won't even let me talk to him," said Beca. "How can I even apologize if he won't be in the same room with me?"

"It's a lot for him to process. I don't like how he's acting either. Hopefully, the time away from us will help."

"I guess. I really am sorry you guys had to find out that way. I honestly did just want Chloe to keep me company while you two were out. It's lonely being in the house by myself, especially at night."

"I know, but you should have at least asked permission before having Chloe over."

"Would you have allowed it?"

Ellen thought for a minute. "Probably not, but maybe I would have figured something else out. Maybe you could have stayed with Chloe at her house."

Beca shrugged. "Do you think that would have ended differently?"

"I guess we'll never know."

"So, what happens now?"

"I think that is something we all have to decide together. We can talk with Miss Lynn and Chloe this week."

"And what about Dad?"

"I'll talk to him again. He has to at least accept that he has a gay daughter. I think any father has a hard time accepting the idea of his daughter having sex."

"Okay. I hate that he's not talking to me."

"I know you do." Ellen squeezed Beca's hand. It was a tough situation for everyone involved.

Beca's mom parked the car, went through security, and then met Tracie and the other dancers and parents at the gate. Beca sat with Chloe, and they immediately held hands. Beca couldn't sit still and she fidgeted nervously in the uncomfortable airport chair.

"What's wrong, Beca?" asked Chloe.

"Nothing," Beca said quickly.

"I think I know you better than that. What's wrong?"

"I just hate flying is all. I want to get on the plane and get this over with."

"Beca, you know there are more car accidents than plane crashes, right?"

"Well, yeah, but it scares me. A plane is a flying death trap!"

"You're being dramatic."

"Yeah, but I can't help it. I hate flying."

"Beca, I'll sit with you and hold your hand. I'll get you through it. Maybe I can show you some of the stuff my therapist showed me. I'm really learning to calm my nerves."

"Okay, it's worth a try I guess."

Lynn and Ellen watched their daughters. They couldn't get over how cute they were together. "I had no idea Beca was afraid of flying," said Lynn.

"It's always been a hang-up of hers. It's the one aspect of competitive dance she really doesn't like, other than those fake eyelashes. I've tried to reason with her, but she's still pretty scared. We've never had a problem on a plane, other than a little turbulence," said Ellen.

"Hopefully Chloe can help her. That therapist really does seem to be helping Chloe with her nerves. Maybe she can teach Beca."

"I hope it works. It's certainly worth a try."

It came time to board the plane. Beca and Chloe sat together, and their moms took seats in the same row on the opposite side. Beca wanted the aisle seat so she couldn't look out the window and see the plane plummet to their deaths. Or, at least, that's how she expressed it to Chloe. Chloe tried to show Beca some breathing techniques her therapist taught her. It seemed to calm Beca a little, but she still had a death grip on Chloe's hand.

Beca seemed a little better once the plane was in the air. She still held Chloe's hand and refused to look out the window, but she took out two pairs of headphones and listened to some of her music with Chloe while the plane flew. She jumped a little and tightened her grip on Chloe's hand when they hit a little turbulence, but she calmed down once things were smooth again.

"Well, thank god that's over!" yelled Beca when they were finally off the plane.

"Beca, seriously, you are being ridiculous," said Ellen.

"I'm never going to like flying," said Beca.

"You don't have to like flying, but you don't have to be so dramatic either," said Ellen. Beca didn't answer. She just walked off in a huff, pulling Chloe with her.

Once everyone grabbed their luggage, Beca had snapped out of her bad mood. Since each dancer had a parent with them, Tracie let the parents determine what everyone did outside of competition time. They were to report to the competition at 8 the next morning. Beca and Chloe and their moms planned to check into the hotel and grab some dinner. Now that Beca was in a better mood, she was much more affectionate with Chloe. The two ended up spending most of the ride to the hotel kissing in the backseat. In fact, they didn't stop until Lynn loudly cleared her throat when it was time to get out of the car. Both girls blushed a little. "Sorry," they both said.

"You two know you can't spend all your free time lip-locked, right?" said Lynn, laughing.

"Yeah, Mom, we know," said Chloe. Beca just laughed and gave Chloe a peck on the lips.

"Okay, lovebirds, let's check in and unpack," said Ellen.

The four of them headed up to their room and unpacked. Beca and Chloe tried to focus on unpacking, but couldn't avoid brushing hands and exchanging the occasional peck on the lips. Lynn and Ellen couldn't help but shake their heads and laugh. Beca and Chloe were adorable together.

"Okay, you two. Where do you guys want to get dinner?" asked Lynn.

"Somewhere with mac and cheese," said Beca.

"And pancakes," said Chloe.

"I think I spotted a restaurant on the way here. They probably have all of that. I'd ask you two what it was called, but I doubt you saw it," said Ellen.

"Yeah, it's hard to see anything when you're kissing in the backseat," said Lynn. "Let's just go over there and see what they have."

They drove a few miles down the road to a local family-style restaurant. Beca and Chloe held hands in the back seat but avoided the urge to lock lips again. They knew their moms were just teasing them, but they thought maybe they should reign themselves in at least a little. They got a table, and the girls were happy to see that both mac and cheese and pancakes were on the menu. They talked about their upcoming dances over dinner. The following day they'd be competing their group numbers. This meant that Beca had one dance to compete, and Chloe had two. This would be a bit less stressful for both of them. Dancing with the group was a little bit more comfortable for both of them. They could always sneak a glance at someone else if they forgot what they were doing, and they always felt a little more comfortable on stage with the support of their friends. They decided it was best that they get up at 6, have breakfast at the hotel, and then leave for the competition as soon as they were done eating.

It was around 9 by the time the girls and their mothers were back at the hotel. They changed into pajamas and decided to just look for something to watch on the hotel cable. The girls needed to be in bed by 10 if they were going to be up at 6. They ended up watching a couple episodes of 30 Rock. The girls cuddled up together while watching TV, exchanging a few chaste kisses. Lynn and Ellen thought it was adorable.

They hit the lights around 10, and it took everyone a little bit to fall asleep. Beca really would have rather shared a bed with Chloe, but she wasn't about to ask anyone to switch. She brought her stuffed dog with her, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

They woke up at 6, and Chloe was the first one out of bed. She tickled Beca to wake her up, earning what could only be described as a growl from Beca. "I don't want to get up," Beca whined.

"It's competition time! Come on! I'm taking a shower, and I'm going to tickle you again if you're not up when I'm out," said Chloe.

"Ugggghhhh..." groaned Beca.

Chloe showered, and Beca was out of bed by the time Chloe was done. Beca took her turn, and both girls worked on getting their hair and makeup ready for the competition. Beca's mom helped her with the fake eyelashes. "I definitely won't miss wearing these when I finally stop competing," said Beca.

"I agree with you on that," said Chloe. "They're annoying."

"Yeah. Ready for breakfast?" asked Beca.

"Yup, let's head down," said Chloe.

Beca and Chloe and their moms grabbed breakfast from the buffet at the hotel. They spotted Tracie and their teammates and joined them at a big table. Chloe sat down and did a few of her deep breathing techniques that she'd shown Beca. She managed to eat all the food on her plate, although it took her longer than usual. Beca squeezed her hand. She was proud of Chloe for calming her nerves enough to eat breakfast. She didn't think she could emotionally handle another scare with Chloe like they had at the last competition.

The girls packed up their costumes, tights, and dance shoes and headed to the competition. No kissing in the back seat this time because their lipstick would have gone everywhere.

They arrived right on time and happily met up with their teacher and teammates. They got to the dressing room and didn't see Alyson and her team.  _I'd be thrilled if we didn't see them at all,_ Beca thought. First up was ballet, so Beca just stretched a little and helped run the music for Tracie while she had the girls run the number a few times. Once it was time to head backstage, she gave Chloe a quick hug and headed to the audience with Tracie and the other parents.

As Beca sat down, she saw Alyson and her dancers seated in the row behind them. Beca's mom noticed Beca looking nervous. "You okay?" she whispered.

"Look who's behind us," Beca whispered.

"Ignore them," said Ellen.

Beca tried to ignore them and watch her friends, but Alyson and her team could be heard making snide remarks about the dancers when they were on stage. It hurt Beca's feelings a lot, especially when comments were made about Chloe. She started to turn around when her mom stopped her. "Not a word, Beca," said Ellen. "It's not worth it." Beca let out a sigh and turned back to face the audience. The ballet number looked great and the judges seemed to really enjoy it. Beca hoped it would win.

Tracie, Beca, and the parents headed to the dressing room to meet the girls. Beca gave Chloe a huge hug when she entered the dressing room. "That was so good! I'm so proud of you!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks," said Chloe, taking a drink from her water bottle. "Okay, give me a minute, and then we need to get ready for jazz."

Beca got into her costume and helped Chloe with her hair change. Chloe got into her costume, and all the girls practiced their jazz number. Once they were ready, they headed backstage, Chloe and Beca holding hands. Alyson's team had their lyrical number up just two numbers before Tracie's team was set to do their jazz number. They watched Alyson's team from backstage. Beca had to admit the number looked pretty good. Denise really had a knack for the part that used to be Beca's.

Alyson's team walked off the stage, and a few of them gave Beca a smug look. Beca just smiled, and said, "Good job, guys." They didn't respond. Beca figured it was better that way. She didn't want to argue with any of them just before she had to go on stage.

Beca and her team got into a circle and held hands and gave each other a few little confidence boosts. They were totally prepared when their number was called. The girls began the partner work, and Beca and Chloe nailed it. The team had a lot of energy and personality, and the audience was on its feet by the time they hit their final pose.

The girls headed to the dressing room and put on their competition uniforms for the awards ceremony. The ballet number won first for ballet, and the jazz number won first for jazz. Alyson's studio won first for lyrical. For the high score, the ballet got third, Alyson's lyrical took second, and the jazz number won overall high score. The jazz number beat the other two by five points. There was only ½ a point separating the lyrical and the ballet numbers. Tracie and the girls were thrilled!

Beca and Chloe held hands as they walked with their team to the dressing room. They exchanged a small peck on the lips and heard snickering behind them. They turned around and saw Alyson and her team. "I guess I know the real reason you left," said Alyson to Beca.

"What does that mean?" asked Beca, angrily.

"I didn't know you were into girls. Looks like you got yourself a little girlfriend," said Alyson.

"Chloe and I are dating, but that wasn't until after I left. And you know very well why I left," said Beca, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm glad you're gone. I don't want a dyke on my team," said Alyson.

Beca opened her mouth to say something but stopped when Cynthia Rose spoke up. "Well, then I guess Denise and I will have to leave," she said, planting a peck on Denise's lips.

"What?!" said Alyson.

"You didn't know?" asked Cynthia Rose.

"Obviously not."

"Well, then I guess we're out. Hey Tracie, is there room for two more on your team?" said Denise.

"Always," said Tracie. "Welcome to the team." She hugged Cynthia Rose and Denise. She gave them both her business card and asked them to contact her once they were back from nationals. Alyson just stood and watched in stunned silence as they walked away.

The girls' parents met them in the dressing room. They exchanged several hugs to celebrate their wins! They all agreed to delay any big celebrations until the last day they were competing. They had to be at the competition early the next two days, and they all agreed the dancers would need their sleep.

Beca and Chloe and their moms headed back to the hotel room. They decided to order room service for dinner, and that it might be a good time for everyone to talk.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is short, but I felt it was important for this part of the story to be separate from the rest.

Once room service arrived with their dinner, the moms sat at the small table in the room. It only had two chairs, so Beca and Chloe sat on the floor. They generally ate dinner while sitting on the floor at their dance studio, so it wasn't anything new.

Lynn began. "I am so glad you two found each other."

Ellen nodded in agreement. "You seem to make each other happy, and we're glad."

"We really do," said Chloe, squeezing Beca's hand. Beca just nodded because she had a mouthful of food.

"I don't like that you broke the rules, but I guess I understand. I wasn't exactly innocent at your ages either," said Ellen.

"I think we've decided to relax the rules a little. You will both still have a curfew and be expected to follow it," said Lynn.

"And, I think for Beca's dad's sake, we still can't allow you two to spend time alone in Beca's room with the door shut," said Ellen.

"But we are going to allow it at our house," said Lynn. "We realize that you two are likely to continue to have sex, and we think it's better that we give you somewhere safe to do it. We'll also let you share a hotel room during the next competition, as long as Tracie is okay with it."

Chloe and Beca looked at each other in disbelief. "Really, mom?" asked Chloe.

Lynn sighed. "Yes. After what happened with Annabelle, your father and I think it's better that way."

"What happened with Annabelle?" asked Beca.

"She and her boyfriend got caught by the cops having sex in the backseat of his car in a parking lot in the middle of the night," said Chloe.

"Wow!" exclaimed Beca and her mom.

"Yeah, they were seventeen, so the cops called both sets of parents to pick them up at the police station," said Lynn.

"Ouch," said Beca.

"It's an experience we'd rather not repeat," said Lynn. "Keep in mind, though, that sex is a big deal."

"We love each other," Chloe said.

"We know that," said Lynn. "But being intimate on that level is very serious. Even though neither of you can get pregnant that way, there are emotional repercussions."

"I think we love each other even more than we did before," said Beca.

"That's great," said Ellen. "But you two still need to respect each other and be responsible."

"We do," said Chloe.

"Absolutely," said Beca.

Beca wanted to ask about her dad, but she decided that would wait another night. For now, she'd just enjoy the fact that the two girls' moms had basically given them their blessing.

Once dinner was done, they turned on the TV and flipped through the cable channels, finding nothing they wanted to watch. Chloe pulled out a deck of cards, and the girls ended up playing card games with their mothers for a while. It was a pretty calm evening, which was great because they had to be at the competition early the next day.


	21. Chapter 21

The alarm went off at 6 again. This time Beca was up first. She took the first shower, and Chloe was up and smiling brightly when Beca returned from the bathroom. Beca had no idea how Chloe could be that happy that early in the morning.

The girls and their moms came down for breakfast, again sitting at the table with Tracie and their teammates. Duets were up that day, which meant that the team only had two numbers that day – Beca and Chloe's jazz duet, and Jessica and Ashley's tap duet. The other girls would be joining them to watch and support their friends. Chloe was a bit more relaxed, partially due to only having the pressure of one number. They also wouldn't be competing against anyone in Alyson's studio. Denise and Cynthia Rose hadn't qualified for nationals, and it was unlikely they'd have competed anyway after Alyson's homophobic remarks.

Everyone ate breakfast, and they talked excitedly about their group number winnings from the previous day and the duets competing that day. Beca and Chloe held hands while they ate their breakfast. Their teammates teased them a little, but neither girl minded. They were just glad to be able to be out in the open with their relationship. Chloe managed to eat all of her breakfast without too much difficulty.

The girls and their moms headed back to their room, making sure they had their costumes, tights, shoes, and accessories for the duet. They headed straight to the competition and got into their costumes. They did some last-minute hair and makeup checks and began stretching and warming up for their duet. Beca practiced her double pirouette, nailing it every single time. She and Chloe helped each other stretch so neither girl would miss her split. Jessica and Ashley were in a different spot in the dressing room, doing some basic tap warm-ups.

Both pairs took turns running their numbers in the dressing room. Tracie gave both pairs a few last-minute pointers, and then the four girls headed backstage. The four girls held hands and gave each other some little confidence boosts.

Jessica and Ashley were up first. Like before, their number had the audience engaged. They were clapping along to the rhythm, and Jessica and Ashley really showed a lot of personality. They walked backstage, and, just as Beca and Chloe were about to give them congratulatory hugs, Jessica pulled Ashley in for a kiss. Beca and Chloe were shocked! They knew Jessica and Ashley were close, but they didn't realize it was anything beyond friendship.

"So, you two?" asked Beca. Jessica and Ashley nodded.

"You're surprised?" asked Jessica.

"I thought our little performance during Rent would have tipped you off," said Ashley.

"Oh my god, is there anyone on this competition team who isn't gay or bi?" asked Beca.

"I don't know. Lilly maybe?" asked Chloe. All four girls laughed.

"Okay, enough about us," said Ashley. "You two need to go out there and kill that duet!"

Beca and Chloe's duet was called, so the two girls walked on stage and hit their beginning poses. The music began, and they flashed big smiles at each other and began their dance. The girls did their special parts beautifully, and they were perfectly synchronized for the parts they did in unison. The judges were very interested, and the audience cheered wildly when they were done. The two walked backstage, proud of their performance. They met Tracie and their parents and teammates in the dressing room, and everyone cheered for the two duet pairs.

"Excellent job, ladies!" exclaimed Tracie. She wrapped up all four girls into a huge hug. "Even if you didn't win with the judges, you certainly won the hearts of the audience."

It was almost time for the awards ceremony, so the girls just quickly put the competition uniforms over their costumes. The four girls headed to the stage while Tracie, the parents, and the other teammates sat in the audience. Beca and Chloe's duet won for jazz, and Jessica and Ashley's duet won for tap. Beca and Chloe got first overall for duets, and Jessica and Ashley got second, their scores separated by 0.4 points. The announcer called Beca and Chloe up to the microphone. As usual, he asked which dance studio they attended, and the girls shouted "Tracie's Dance School!" into the microphone.

To the girls' surprise, he then said, "That was an unusual mix of music. Where did you get it?"

"I mixed it," said Beca. "I sang 'Don't You Forget About Me' and Chloe sang 'Party in the USA.'"

"Wow! You can dance, you can sing, and you mix music. Is there anything you can't do?" asked the announcer. Beca smiled nervously and gave a small shrug.

After the awards were over, everyone headed to the dressing room. Tracie congratulated the girls on their wins, and everyone headed back to the hotel. It was mid-afternoon, and nobody had eaten lunch yet. Beca and Chloe and their moms got some sandwiches at a nearby deli, and then they decided they'd all head to the hotel pool to swim for a while.

Chloe came out of the bathroom in a blue bikini that made her eyes pop. Beca couldn't help but stare when her girlfriend came out of the bathroom. Ellen nudged Beca with her elbow and said, "You're drooling."

"I am NOT!" exclaimed Beca. She grabbed a black bikini out of her suitcase and walked to the bathroom in a huff. Chloe just laughed at the exchange. Beca walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later in a black bikini, and Chloe just stared at her.

"My eyes are up here, Chloe," said Beca, laughing.

"Yeah, yeah," said Chloe. "Let's go swimming!"

The girls headed to the pool with their mothers. Apparently, their whole team had the same idea. Aubrey and Stacie were sunbathing next to each other in lounge chairs. Jessica and Ashley were resting on floats in the deep end, and Lilly was swimming underwater with a big pair of goggles. After a while, Aubrey and Stacie joined the others in the pool, and the group played Marco Polo for a while. Nobody ever caught Lilly because nobody could ever hear her say "Polo!"

Everyone got out of the pool around dinner time. The mothers decided to let the girls hang out together for a while. Aubrey's mom convinced the hotel to let them use one of the meeting rooms. They ordered a bunch of pizza for the girls. Everyone hung out and ate pizza for a while. The moms were engaged in their own conversation while the girls excitedly chatted about the competition. They were so pleased with their group and duet wins, and the girls doing solos the next day were a combination of excited and nervous.

The meeting room at the hotel was next to a movie room. Aubrey and Stacie found out from the front desk staff that it was free to use for hotel guests. The girls headed to the movie room to hang out while the moms stayed in the meeting room to continue their chat. The group went through the hotel's movie collection and chose Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Beca was annoyed that it wasn't a musical, but she got outvoted.

Beca cuddled up to Chloe and was quietly snoring on Chloe's shoulder within the first half hour of the movie. Chloe decided to just let Beca sleep. She knew Beca really didn't like movies that weren't musicals, so she might as well let her sleep. It was better than listening to her moan and groan during the movie.

The girls enjoyed the movie, but Aubrey complained that it was a bit too different from the book. The others hadn't read the book, but Aubrey had read the entire series. "Seriously, they switched the ages and powers of a few of the characters, and I had a hard time remembering who was who. The ending doesn't fit any of the books. You really have to read the series. It's so much better than the movie!" The others rolled their eyes.

Chloe nudged Beca awake. "Movie's over, sleepyhead. You even slept through Aubrey's rant."

"Oh," said Beca. "Sorry."

"It's okay," said Chloe. "I know you don't like movies." She gave Beca a tight hug.

"We should go back to our moms," said Aubrey. "It's getting late, and those of us doing solos need to be at the competition early tomorrow."

"Okay, but I want to kiss you first," said Stacie. She planted a kiss on Aubrey's lips that quickly became heated. The others started cat-calling. Aubrey broke the kiss, blushing furiously.

"Hey, stop it!" exclaimed Aubrey. "My mom doesn't know yet." The others quieted down, and then they all headed to the meeting room to get their moms.

"We were just wrapping up our conversation," said Lynn. "We have five of you with solos tomorrow, so you'd all better get some sleep."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I wasn't originally planning to specifically say Jessica and Ashley were together. I was going to leave it up to the reader, but this idea came to me and I just couldn't resist.


	22. Chapter 22

The alarm rang at 6 in the morning, earning the usual groan from Beca. Chloe planted a kiss on Beca's cheek in an effort to wake her up. This earned another groan from Beca. "You shower first. I'm tired," mumbled Beca. Chloe laughed at her grumpy girlfriend and headed to the bathroom to shower.

"All done! Your turn!"

Beca groaned and slowly trudged to the bathroom. Chloe gave her another kiss on the cheek. "You're lucky you're that pretty," said Beca, still sleepy and grumpy.

Beca emerged from the shower about fifteen minutes later. She was still sleepy and grumpy, but less so. "You're going to have to wake up a bit or your solo is going to be a disaster," said Chloe.

"I need coffee and breakfast," said Beca.

"Well, we'd better go down and fix that. Come on, Grumpy," said Ellen. Beca narrowed her eyes at her mother but said nothing.

They headed down to breakfast. Again, they spotted Tracie and their teammates and joined them. Once Beca had drunk half of her coffee and eaten some of her breakfast, her mood improved. Chloe was doing her deep breathing exercises and picking at her food. Beca immediately noticed she was having a hard time and took Chloe's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. Chloe still hadn't taken a bite of food, so Beca put her arm around her and whispered some calming words in her ear. This was only somewhat successful as Chloe only managed two bites before putting down her fork and looking a little green. Beca rubbed Chloe's back and whispered more encouragement in her ear. It didn't help.

Finally, Beca got an idea. She put her arms around Chloe and began to pepper Chloe's neck with kisses, and then moved on to giving her a long kiss. It wasn't as deep as she'd have liked because all the other teammates and parents were there, but she was hoping it might help calm Chloe's nerves. "Come on, Chloe. You need to eat. I don't know how else to relax you," said Beca. "At least not in public," she whispered to Chloe.

Chloe giggled at Beca's whispered comment. It was enough to help calm her and get her to eat some more. Beca continued to rub Chloe's back and offer quiet encouragement, and Chloe managed to finish her breakfast. Beca finished her food, and the group all headed back to their rooms. The solo competition would last the next few days, but all five soloists from Tracie's studio were competing that day. They'd all stay at the hotel one more night, and then everyone was to fly back the next day in the early afternoon.

Beca and Chloe headed back to the hotel room and made sure they'd packed all their shoes, accessories, and costumes for the day's competition. Both girls found the solo competition the hardest, so they were both nervous. They got their hair and makeup ready, put on their competition uniforms, and headed to the lobby with their mothers.

Beca and Lilly both had their solos competing early in the day. They got into their costumes, and the other teammates and mothers made sure the costumes were on correctly, headpieces secure, and accessories in place. The girls stretched and warmed up, and they took turns running through their solos in the dressing room. They got some last-minute pointers from Tracie, and then they headed backstage. Beca insisted on Chloe waiting for her backstage. Chloe was happy to oblige.

Beca was up first. Chloe gave Beca's hand a squeeze and flashed her a bright smile just before releasing Beca's hand so she could go on stage. Beca confidently walked onstage and hit her opening pose. Her number was nearly flawless. She hit the double pirouette like she'd never struggled with it, and she used her expressions very well. She confidently strutted off the stage after hitting her ending pose. Chloe wrapped her in a huge hug and gave Beca a peck on the lips. "That was awesome," said Chloe. Beca just nodded, as she was breathing a little too hard to answer. Chloe handed her a bottle of water. Beca drank from it and the girls heard the announcer call Denise's number to the stage. They looked around and saw that Denise wasn't there. The announcer called her number again, and then somebody whispered something in his ear.

"Sorry, I have just been notified this number has been pulled from competition," the announcer said. Beca and Chloe looked at each other in surprise.

"I guess Alyson pulled the number, or maybe Denise decided she didn't want to do it," said Beca.

"Alyson is probably pretty mad at Denise and Cynthia Rose for leaving and going to our team," said Chloe.

"Either that or Alyson pulled it because she really is too homophobic to have Denise on the team. I'm so glad I left," said Beca.

The announcer called Lilly's hip-hop number, so the girls stopped their conversation to watch and support Lilly. Lilly's number was amazing. She hit all of her moves, and her facial expressions were amazing. Beca still couldn't get over how her quiet friend could dance like that. Beca enjoyed hip-hop, but she couldn't do what Lilly could do. Lilly hit her final pose and walked off the stage with just the right amount of attitude. Beca and Chloe congratulated her, and she smiled and then immediately shifted back to her usual quiet personality.

The three girls headed back to the dressing room, and Beca and Lilly got big hugs from Tracie. She was pleased with both girls. "Amazing job, ladies," she said. "I'm so proud of both of you."

"Tracie?" asked Beca.

"What is it?"

"Who pulled Denise's number?" asked Beca.

"That was Denise. She and I spoke last night. She wanted to know if she could enter her number under my studio. Unfortunately, I can't do that. Alyson is wrong for treating you, Denise, and Cynthia Rose that way, but it doesn't mean I can use her choreography in a dance I enter into a competition."

"I get that, but it sucks. Denise worked so hard, and she earned that spot in this competition."

"I know, but she was so deeply hurt by Alyson that she couldn't bear to enter that solo into a competition under her name."

"I get that. Is she going to dance with us next year?"

"Well, we still have to complete some paperwork, but that's the plan."

"Great."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Chloe, Stacie, and Aubrey were up next for solos. Beca helped Chloe attach her headpiece and pin her costume. She made sure her tap shoes were tied tight, and she did her deep breathing exercises with her to help calm her nerves. She made her drink a few sips of water after she ran her dance a couple of times. Chloe had eaten a full breakfast, but Beca didn't want to risk Chloe fainting again. Chloe had gotten pretty quiet, which Beca knew meant she was nervous. Beca held her hand and whispered words of encouragement in her ear.

Aubrey was fussing over her pointe shoes, and her mother was making sure Aubrey's hair and headpiece were secure. She ran her pointe number a few times and then said she was ready.

Stacie stretched to make sure she could hit the high kicks in her solo. Her mother helped secure Stacie's headpiece and fussed over her costume. Stacie assured her mother she was fine, ran her number once, and declared she was ready for the competition.

Beca followed the three girls competing backstage. She was still worried about Chloe, and she wanted to be there if Chloe needed her. She held Chloe's hand while they waited for the announcer to call Chloe's number, and she gave it a quick squeeze before letting go.

Chloe's tap number was awesome. She made all her sounds with great timing. She showed a lot of expression and had the audience clapping along. Most of the people waiting backstage were bopping along to the music. She made it all the way to the end of the number and walked off the stage with a huge smile. Beca went to hug Chloe to congratulate her, and Chloe went in for a kiss instead. They earned a few giggles from the other people backstage, and Beca broke the kiss, a little embarrassed.

"Why the kiss?" asked Beca.

"I'm so proud of us," said Chloe. Beca couldn't argue with that, so she just hugged Chloe tightly.

"Okay, we need to watch Stacie and Aubrey," said Beca.

Aubrey was next. She fidgeted a little until they called her number. She walked on stage with a lot of grace and poise. Her pointe number was great. She never even wobbled on her shoes, and the audience watched in almost complete silence as they took in her performance. She hit her final pose and the audience erupted in cheers. She walked off stage, and Stacie gave her a tight hug to congratulate her. Beca handed Aubrey a water bottle and congratulated her on a great job.

Stacie was up after a few more numbers. Aubrey gave her a quick peck on the lips before Stacie walked onstage. She started her musical theater routine and shamelessly shot flirty expressions at the one male judge. Beca and Chloe giggled as they noticed the judge's cheeks turn pink. Stacie was one gorgeous girl, and she knew it. Stacie hit her ending pose, and did a seductive walk off stage. Aubrey gave her a look.

"What's the matter, Baby?" asked Stacie.

Aubrey blushed at the pet name. "I saw you flirting with the judge," said Aubrey.

"It was all part of the act. You can't do a dance to 'Hey, Big Spender' and not flirt with a guy in the audience. I figured flirting with the one male judge might increase my score," replied Stacie.

"You promise it was just the act?" asked Aubrey.

"Of course. You know I only have eyes for you," said Stacie. The two girls walked back to the dressing room. Beca and Chloe gave them another minute to talk privately before heading back to the dressing room themselves. Beca and Chloe walked in with the other parents, Tracie, and their teammates. Aubrey's mom gasped in shock as she saw Aubrey sitting on Stacie's lap, their lips locked in a passionate kiss. Aubrey and Stacie stopped kissing and looked up when they heard her.

Aubrey looked at Stacie, and Stacie nodded in encouragement. Aubrey took a deep breath and said, "Mom, I have something to tell you. Stacie's my girlfriend."

"Since when?" asked Aubrey's mom, still in shock.

"It's been three months," said Aubrey. "I'm gay, and I was scared to tell you."

"Well, it explains why you two have been spending so much time together," said Aubrey's mom.

"You're not mad?" asked Aubrey.

"Well, no, but I'm surprised you didn't tell me," said her mom. She turned to Stacie's mom. "Did you know about this?"

"Yes, but Stacie told us she was bi a while ago. Aubrey's a lovely girl."

"Thanks. I like Stacie too. I guess this will take a little getting used to, but I'm happy if you're happy Aubrey," said Aubrey's mom.

"Thanks, Mom!" exclaimed Aubrey, giving her mom a big hug.

Beca watched this exchange quietly with a bit of sadness in her eyes. Ellen walked over to her. "Penny for your thoughts."

"Aubrey's mom accepted her relationship willingly. Why can't Dad?" said Beca.

"Let's call him when we get back from the competition. Let me talk to him and see if I can talk some sense into him. That way you can enjoy your night with your friends."

"Okay," said Beca, quietly. She wasn't sure what to expect. Chloe walked over and squeezed her hand.

"He'll accept this. I just know he will," said Chloe.

"I hope you're right," said Beca.

The soloists got into competition uniforms and headed to the stage for the awards ceremony. Chloe and Beca excitedly held hands, as did Aubrey and Stacie. A few girls from Alyson's team smirked at them, but they didn't say anything.

Stacie won first place for musical theater, and Chloe won first for tap. Beca won first for jazz, and Aubrey won first for ballet. Lilly won first for hip-hop. Aubrey won first for overall solos in the 17-18 age division. For overall solos in age 15-16, Chloe won first (she had just turned 17, but the age cutoff was a few months before her birthday), and Beca got second. Only 0.1 points separated their scores. Lilly got third overall in 15-16, and Stacie took fourth. Tracie was thrilled to see her team sweep the competition!

The girls headed back to the dressing room, and Tracie, the parents, and their teammates erupted in cheers. This was the most successful Tracie's team had been at nationals! Tracie told everyone she'd treat them to a celebratory dinner at a fancy restaurant in town. She had reservations for them in about two hours, and she told everyone to meet her at the restaurant.

Beca and Chloe's mom took the girls back to the hotel, and Beca and Chloe spent the short ride back excitedly talking about the competition. They were super proud of themselves, and they'd also enjoyed watching some of their competitors.

Chloe and her mom walked around the hotel gift shop to give Beca and her mom some privacy. They planned to call Beca's dad to try and get him to accept Beca's relationship with Chloe. It was the only thing that had really been bothering Beca during the trip, and they were hoping to have it settled before the celebratory dinner.

Ellen called John and spoke to him alone for a few minutes. She told him that Beca had done extremely well in the competition and that she and Chloe had wonderfully behaved. She said the two girls were very sweet and affectionate toward each other. She also told him how Beca still had a bit of sadness about her father's reaction to finding her in bed with Chloe. She then handed Beca the phone.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hi, Beca. How's the competition?"

"Great! We swept the competition! I got first in my category for the group, the duet, and my solo. Chloe beat me in overall solos by 0.1 points!"

"That's great, honey." He paused. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry about how I've been acting. I'm still trying to get used to you liking girls, but I'm going to work on it."

"So, no more silent treatment?"

"No. That was wrong. I guess any father would rather not accept his daughter growing up and having sex, but that wasn't the right way to handle it."

"I'm sorry I broke the rules and had Chloe over without asking you guys," said Beca.

"Apology accepted."

"Thanks, Dad. I've really missed talking to you."

"Me, too, honey. I've missed you and your mom since you've been away. I can't wait to see you tomorrow evening when you come back!"

"That's provided I survive the plane ride," said Beca.

"Oh, honey, relax. You'll be fine."

"I hope so. I hate flying."

"Okay, sweetheart. Your mom said you're all going out to dinner with Tracie. I'll let you go and get ready. Have a good time, and tell me all about it tomorrow night, okay?"

"Okay, goodbye, Dad. I love you."

"I love you too."

Beca hung up. She was relieved that she'd patched things up with her father. She was glad he was going to work on accepting her relationship. It wasn't going to happen overnight, but she hoped he'd get there in time.

Beca texted Chloe that she could come up to the room now. She gave Chloe a hug and a kiss when she got to the hotel room.

"Everything okay with your dad now?" asked Chloe.

"Yeah. He said he was sorry about the silent treatment, and that he'd work on getting used to our relationship," said Beca.

"That's pretty good," said Chloe.

"Yeah," said Beca. "Let's get ready for dinner."

Chloe put on a blue dress that made her eyes pop and a pair of wedge sandals. Beca wore a black button-down short-sleeved top and a red plaid miniskirt. She had black high-heeled boots on her feet. Both girls wore their hair down in loose waves.

They met Tracie and the others at a fancy restaurant with cloth napkins, and a menu with food most of the girls hadn't ever heard of. Tracie helped suggest things to the girls. Once their drinks arrived, Tracie made a toast. "To the best dance family I could ever ask for," said Tracie. Everyone clinked glasses. They made a lot of conversation about the dance season, and things they saw in the competition that they liked and disliked. Tracie asked the girls and parents about other things they'd like to do.

"Well," said Beca. "Since it looks like just about all of us are gay or bi, could we perform at a pride event?"

"All of you?" asked Tracie. Jessica and Ashley grinned at each other and exchanged a chaste kiss. Lilly just shrugged. "Well, I guess that answers that question. I'll definitely look into it when we get back home."

After everyone had finished their dinner, Tracie had the staff bring out a cake she'd ordered. It was half chocolate, half vanilla, and had the word "Congratulations" written on it. Once everyone had cake, Tracie asked for their attention.

"Okay, last time I bug everyone, I promise," she said. "Aubrey, since you're graduating, I wanted to give you this." She handed Aubrey an envelope. "Inside is something to help with expenses. I know you have a full scholarship to Barden, but I know that doesn't pay for the extra fees and books. Here's something to help with that."

Aubrey began to cry happy tears and couldn't speak to form the words to thank her. She simply gave Tracie a huge hug.

"I'm so proud of you, and we're all going to miss you next year. Please keep in touch, and you're welcome to visit and even join in class when you can," Tracie said. Aubrey was still crying, but she nodded. "As for the rest of you, let's take the rest of the month off of classes. Relax and be teenagers for a bit. We can start classes up next month and just work on technique for a while. We'll really wow them next year!"

The rest of the evening was spent excitedly chatting. Lynn and Ellen learned that Jessica and Ashley's mothers had been aware of their daughters' relationship for a while. Jessica and Ashley were fairly shy, so most people weren't aware of their relationship. Lilly's mom was as quiet as Lilly, so nobody had any idea what either one of them was saying. Before the group went their separate ways for the evening, Tracie got one of the waiters to take a group photo. She put it on the studio's Instagram, captioned "So proud of my team for sweeping nationals!"

Beca spent the rest of the evening enjoying the company of her teammates, her dance teacher, everyone's parents, and most importantly, her girlfriend Chloe. She couldn't help but think that life couldn't get much better. Her team had swept the national dance competition, and her father seemed well on his way to coming to terms with her sexuality. Her teammates had become her best friends, and she was spending the better part of her spring break with most of her favorite people. She smiled contentedly to herself. It had been an excellent dance season – probably her best yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's the end of our story! Two-part epilogue coming up, and then I'll do some one-shots from this universe if there's interest. Message me if you have ideas, and I'll try.


	23. Epilogue 1

The next dance season, Chloe and Beca were in different age divisions. They were together for all group numbers and had a duet, but were no longer competing against each other for solos. Denise and Cynthia Rose fit in beautifully with the team. Denise apologized to Beca at the first class for throwing her dirty looks and smirking at her. Alyson had told the team that Beca had left because she thought she was better than them.

 

Beca and Chloe were a very happy pair of girlfriends that year. Beca's parents still didn't allow the two girls alone in Beca's room with the door shut, but they no longer forbid them to share hotel rooms when traveling for dance. Tracie allowed it after getting permission from both sets of parents, provided the girls still followed all the rules when traveling. Beca and Chloe were pretty responsible with this, although there were a few close calls. They spent a fair amount of time at Chloe's house, but more of it was spent practicing in the dance studio in Chloe's basement. While Chloe's parents allowed the girls privacy in Chloe's room, neither girl was completely comfortable with the idea of having sex in Chloe's room when her parents were around.

 

Aubrey began college at Barden University that fall. She amicably broke up with Stacie just before she left for school. She still loved her, but she knew they wouldn't have much time to spend together. She didn't want Stacie to miss out on an opportunity to date someone else, so they decided to end the relationship on a good note. Both were sad, but they kept themselves busy. Aubrey joined an LGBTQ club at school, and she was a member of the Barden Bellas, an a capella singing group.

 

Stacie kept herself busy. She was still on the competition team and had gotten herself more modeling gigs. She modeled for a few dance costume catalogs, and she did a few fashion shows. She kept in touch with Aubrey for a while, but she rarely saw her anymore. When Aubrey was in town, it often coincided with Stacie's modeling gigs. Stacie dated a few other people casually, but nobody seriously.

 

Jessica and Ashley were still together. They had a fun jazz duet to Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl." It was generally well-received, but a few people complained to Tracie about it. Tracie told them there wasn't anything inappropriate about the song or the dance and reminded them that there were far less appropriate songs and dance moves in many other numbers.

 

The team swept nationals again. Beca and Chloe both won for overall solos in their age groups, and Alyson had entered a much smaller team. She hadn't been able to replace Denise and Cynthia Rose, especially once word got around about how homophobic she was. Beca was in all of the group numbers this year. She did a tap trio with Jessica and Ashley to "Devil Went Down to Georgia" as well as another duet with Chloe, a lyrical piece to "Flashlight." Beca's solo was a lyrical piece to "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John. Chloe's solo was a pointe number to "Cinderella's Waltz" from the ballet Cinderella. The group numbers that year were ballet to a piece from "Swan Lake" (Beca had gotten her ballet up to par and was comfortable in the number), modern to "Elastic Heart" by Sia, and jazz to "Toxic" by Britney Spears. Lilly joined Cynthia Rose and Denise for a hip-hop trio to "Boom Boom" by Iggy Azalea, and it placed well in every competition.

 

Chloe had gotten her nerves under control when it came to competitive dance. She still saw her therapist, but not as often as before. She was much better about eating on competition days, but Beca still watched her like a hawk every competition day to make sure there wouldn't be another fainting incident.

 

Chloe took Beca to her senior prom. She'd come out at school a few months prior and had been fortunate not to endure much trouble from her fellow students. She and Beca had an amazing time at the prom, and Chloe couldn't imagine spending her prom with anyone else. Chloe wore a sleeveless red floor-length gown with crisscrossed fabric that showed some of her toned abs. Beca wore a gray pantsuit with a black lacy top underneath that showed a lot of cleavage and pink pumps.

 

The following Fall, Chloe started school at Barden University. She majored in Music Education and minored in dance. She ended up joining the Barden Bellas with Aubrey.

 

Unfortunately, between Beca's dance schedule and Chloe's classes and Bellas schedule, the girls couldn't keep up their relationship. Chloe came home for Thanksgiving, and the girls decided they should split up for a while. They still cared very much for each other, but they couldn't manage the long-distance relationship. They tried keeping in touch, and even spent some time together when Chloe was home for Christmas, but it was too painful for both of them. Talking to Chloe made Beca miss her more, and Chloe would spend a great deal of their conversations just crying about how she missed Beca. Chloe sent Beca a card for her high school graduation, but the girls didn't even end up seeing each other that summer. Chloe was staying out of state teaching at a dance/theater arts camp for most of the summer, and Beca was away on vacation when Chloe was home. Beca had gone on a few dates during her senior year of high school, but nobody could handle the demands of her dance training. She also couldn't help comparing everyone to Chloe. She ended up attending her prom with a German exchange student named Kommissar. She was tall, blonde, and gorgeous, and Beca was a little intimidated by her. Kommissar wore a black sleeveless number that looked like a dress, but it actually had pants underneath. Beca wore a blue and purple gown with one shoulder. They attended the prom as friends but lost touch when Kommissar returned to Germany shortly after graduation. Beca hadn't come out at school before her prom, so she got a lot of confused looks from her classmates. She and Kommissar were attending as friends, so a lot of her classmates were probably still unaware that Beca was gay. This suited her just fine.


	24. Epilogue 2

It was Beca's first day of college. She'd enrolled at Barden University. She was majoring in music and minoring in dance. She missed Chloe terribly, but she had no idea if she'd even end up seeing her because it was such a big school. She unpacked her things in her dorm and then headed to the activities fair with her roommate.

She saw several different clubs, and then she saw a familiar head of red hair. She'd know that hair anywhere. It was Chloe! She and Aubrey were handing out flyers for the Barden Bellas. Beca had temporarily forgotten that Chloe and Aubrey had joined the a capella group when they started at Barden. She cautiously walked up to their table, unsure of how she would feel seeing Chloe again. She was worried that maybe Chloe was seeing someone, and she didn't think her heart could handle that. They were talking to a blonde with an Australian accent who was doing some sort of weird dancing on the ground in front of them. Her nerves got the better of her, and she walked past them before they could see her, not saying anything. She walked to the next table and tried to suppress an eye roll when a bunch of students tried to convince her that she should join the "Running in a Circle" club.

Meanwhile, Chloe and Aubrey were at the activities fair. They were the two remaining members of the Barden Bellas after several members had graduated and several others had left the group due to a bit of an "incident" at the previous year's national a capella competition involving a nervous Aubrey. They were stressed about finding enough members for their a capella group to be able to compete. Most people walked right by the table, acting like they hadn't heard them. Poor Aubrey kept holding her stomach while they tried to get people interested in joining the group. Chloe had always been the one with a nervous stomach when it came to dancing, but Aubrey seemed to have it much worse when it involved singing.

While Aubrey was watching an Australian blonde demonstrate something she called "mermaid dancing," Chloe looked at the "Running in a Circle" club's table and felt drawn to the brunette standing there listening to the club members gush about the excitement of running around in circles, even though she could only see her from behind. She had an ear spike in one ear and a tattoo of a flower on her shoulder. She was wearing a red tank top with a gray sleeveless top over it, skinny jeans, and ankle boots. "Hey, what about her?" she asked Aubrey.

"I don't know. She looks a little too alternative for us," said Aubrey.

"I'm going to talk to her. Maybe she can sing. We need new Bellas," said Chloe. She walked up to the girl and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hi! Any interest in joining our a capella group?"

The girl turned around and said, "Chloe, it's me."

"BECA!" screamed Chloe. She immediately dropped her flyers and pulled Beca in for a huge bear hug. Beca was only about an inch shorter than Chloe now and had thick eyeliner around her eyes. Chloe couldn't believe she was seeing Beca.

"Miss me?" Beca asked, smirking.

"Of course!" Chloe grabbed Beca's hand and walked to an empty area on the quad, leaving Aubrey alone to pass out flyers. Aubrey shot her a dirty look, but Chloe didn't care. She was way too excited to see Beca.

"Beca, I didn't even recognize you."

"Yeah, I kind of changed my look. And I grew a few inches."

"I'll say. I like it. Let me see your tattoos. When did you get them?"

"Well, I got the headphones on my wrist and the grasshopper on my arm from my parents for my high school graduation. I got the rose on my shoulder blade for my eighteenth birthday. I'd wanted tattoos for a while, but I didn't think that Tracie would approve of that while I was still doing dance competitions."

"I guess I did the same thing, although I only got one," Chloe said, pointing to the ladybug tattoo on the underside of her arm.

"I love it!"

"So, Beca, are you..."

Beca smiled, and said, "I'm not seeing anyone Chloe. You?"

Chloe shook her head. "Nope. I went on a few dates, but nobody could measure up to you."

"Nobody could measure up to you either. So, what are you doing Friday night?"

"I'll be at Bella auditions, but then we can go out. You should audition!"

"I don't know about a capella singing. It sounds pretty lame."

"And sleeping with a stuffed dog and knowing all the words to 'On the Steps of the Palace' isn't?" asked Chloe with a wink.

Beca laughed. "Okay, I guess you got me there. I'll audition. But just so I can spend more time with you," Beca said, planting a kiss on Chloe's lips.

"Mmmmm...I missed that," said Chloe.

"Then I guess we'd better do it again," said Beca, kissing Chloe again. She broke the kiss. "What about the flyers? Aubrey's going to be mad."

"I'll let Aubrey do it. I've been waiting to do this for a year!" Chloe said, giving Beca another kiss. Chloe looked in Aubrey's direction and smiled. "Actually, I don't think Aubrey's mad right now."

Beca looked over at the table and saw Stacie sitting on the table passionately kissing Aubrey. "Looks like Aubrey and Stacie are making up for lost time," Beca said.

"I guess we have two new Bellas," said Chloe. She pulled Beca into a deep kiss.


End file.
